The Adult ChatGPT Conundrum: Privacy, Control, and the Death of Digital Anonymity
Been scrolling through some heated discussions about OpenAI’s announcement of an “adult version” of ChatGPT, and honestly, it’s got me thinking about how quickly we’re sleepwalking into a surveillance state disguised as convenience.
The whole thing started with Sam Altman’s typical corporate speak about having “mitigated serious mental health issues” - which immediately set off my bullshit detector. When has a tech CEO ever genuinely solved a complex societal problem with a software update? It’s like saying we’ve cured loneliness by adding more emoji reactions to Facebook posts.
But what really gets my goat is this ID verification requirement. Sure, they’re framing it as protecting children, which is always the go-to excuse for eroding privacy. Someone in the discussion nailed it perfectly when they said “protect the children” is code for “surrender your rights.” We’ve seen this playbook before with internet censorship laws here in Australia and globally.
The technical reality is stark - if you’re already paying for ChatGPT Plus with a credit card, they know you’re an adult. This extra verification layer isn’t about age; it’s about building a comprehensive profile of your most intimate thoughts and desires. Imagine having your entire sexual psychology mapped, stored, and potentially weaponised against you years down the track.
What struck me most was a user pointing out how we’ve “chosen the walled gardens” of the internet. That hit home because it’s true - we’ve traded the chaotic freedom of the early web for the polished convenience of platforms controlled by a handful of mega-corporations. Now those same companies want to peer into our bedrooms through AI chat logs.
The comparison to OnlyFans creators needing ID verification misses the point entirely. Content creators on adult platforms are essentially running businesses - they’re selling a product. But ChatGPT users aren’t performing; they’re expressing private thoughts in what should be a confidential space. The power dynamic is completely different.
Living through the transition from dial-up bulletin boards to today’s hyper-surveilled internet, I’ve watched anonymity slowly die. My teenage daughter will never know what it felt like to explore ideas online without corporate algorithms cataloguing every curiosity for future monetisation. It’s genuinely depressing.
The most chilling comment I read suggested that AI companies are positioning themselves as “god emperors” because they’ll have dirt on everyone’s weird shit. In a world where politicians’ careers can be destroyed by decades-old social media posts, imagine the leverage these companies will wield with intimate AI conversations.
There’s hope though - the local AI community is thriving. You can run uncensored models on your own hardware, keeping your digital desires between you and your computer. It requires some technical know-how, but it’s doable, and more people are learning every day.
The irony isn’t lost on me that Elon Musk, for all his faults, might have accidentally struck a blow for digital freedom by offering unfiltered AI through Grok. Competition in this space benefits everyone, even if the motivations are questionable.
Look, I’m not naive - I know my iPhone probably already knows more about me than my wife does. But there’s a difference between passive data collection and actively requiring government ID to engage with your private thoughts. One feels like inevitable compromise; the other feels like capitulation.
We’re at a crossroads where we can still choose to value privacy over convenience. The adult ChatGPT thing might seem trivial, but it’s another step toward normalising digital strip searches as the price of participation in modern society.
Maybe it’s time to dust off those local AI setups and remember what digital autonomy actually feels like.