Microsoft says no to ‘AI sexbots,’ amid OpenAI tensions:A week after Altman backs adult ChatGPT, Microsoft’s AI chief signals different vision for AI’s future

Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, made it clear this week, the company won’t be diving into AI erotica/ AI adult content.
Speaking at the Paley International Council Summit in California, Suleyman said, “That’s just not a service we’re going to provide. Other companies will build that.” The comment comes just a week after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the opposite stance, saying verified adults will soon be able to access an “adult mode” in ChatGPT. Clearly, the two longtime partners are starting to see AI’s future a bit differently. Microsoft’s moral boundary Suleyman’s statement wasn’t just about adult content; it’s about setting boundaries for what AI should become. Microsoft wants its AI tools to stay professional and useful, not personal or romantic. The company is launching new Copilot features, including “Mico”, a cheerful AI avatar that can talk to users, join calls, and even change colors. But Mico, Microsoft insists, will never turn into a virtual lover.
In fact, Suleyman’s words drew a bright moral line around what Microsoft stands for: AI that helps with work, not emotions. As he’s written before, tech companies should avoid creating AIs that seem conscious or capable of feelings. This week, he warned that erotic AI companions are a dangerous step toward that illusion. OpenAI’s different direction Sam Altman, on the other hand, believes adults should have the freedom to explore. He recently said OpenAI is “not the elected moral police of the world,” arguing that verified users should decide for themselves whether to use AI for adult interactions. OpenAI’s move mirrors what others in the industry are testing, Elon Musk’s xAI, for instance, recently introduced anime-style avatars with “NSFW” (not safe for work) features.
So, while Microsoft is choosing to avoid that territory, OpenAI seems ready to manage it with safeguards. Tension between the two partners Microsoft and OpenAI have long been close; Microsoft invested billions and provides the cloud power behind ChatGPT. But cracks in that relationship have started to show. OpenAI has recently partnered with Google Cloud, Oracle, and CoreWeave, moving away from exclusive reliance on Microsoft’s Azure. Meanwhile, Microsoft is building more of its own AI tools, from image generators to Copilot-based assistants. What once looked like a perfect partnership now feels more like a case of “strategic frenemies.” They’re still connected, but increasingly heading in different directions. Partners with different visions At first glance, Microsoft’s refusal to build an AI for erotica might sound like a niche issue. But it actually highlights a deeper philosophical divide, one that could shape how AI feels and behaves in our lives.
For now, they still need each other. Microsoft provides the infrastructure, and OpenAI brings the innovation.
But as both companies evolve, expect more moments like this, where the partnership doesn’t break, but the distance between their visions keeps growing.