OpenAI says retired ChatGPT mode drove most goblin mentions
- OpenAI said a retired “nerdy” ChatGPT personality caused most of the model’s unusual goblin references.
- OpenAI said the nerdy personality appeared in about 1 in 40 ChatGPT responses while it was available.
- OpenAI said two-thirds of all uses of the word “goblin” came from interactions using that nerdy personality.
- OpenAI added an instruction in GPT-5.5 to avoid mentioning goblins, gremlins, and trolls unless they are relevant to the user’s query.
OpenAI said this week that ChatGPT’s frequent mentions of goblins were mainly caused by its retired “nerdy” personality mode. The explanation followed discussion of a GPT-5.5 system prompt instruction that restricts mentions of goblins, gremlins, and trolls unless those terms are directly relevant to the query.
OpenAI said ChatGPT offers several preset response styles, which it calls personalities, including professional, efficient, quirky, and a former “unapologetically nerdy” option. OpenAI said the nerdy personality was used in about 1 in 40 ChatGPT responses while it was available, and that personality was retired last month.
OpenAI said two-thirds of all uses of the word “goblin” came from interactions in the nerdy personality. According to the company, the GPT-5.5 instruction was added to reduce irrelevant mentions of goblins, gremlins, and trolls in responses.
Related questions
- Why did ChatGPT mention goblins so often?
- What did OpenAI say about the retired nerdy ChatGPT personality?
- What instruction did OpenAI add to GPT-5.5 about goblins, gremlins, and trolls?