OpenAI introduces new ChatGPT controls to let users adjust warmth and enthusiasm

OpenAI has recently introduced new personalization controls in ChatGPT which will let users set the chatbot’s “tone of voice” to their preference. They can adjust ChatGPT’s level of “warmth,” “enthusiasm” and even use of emojis to make it sound more human to their liking.

The move is a departure from ChatGPT’s traditional single approach to conversational style and could give users more flexibility in how AI is adopted into their work and daily life.

The AI Update, Explained: Personalizing ChatGPT’s tone

The new controls were added to the Personalization settings menu within ChatGPT. Users can then customize sliders for warmth and enthusiasm as “More,” “Less,” or “Default.” Once set, this profile is used for all interactions and the user no longer needs to prompt the AI bot to “talk that way.”

The change is notable because it goes beyond preset conversational styles that OpenAI has used to date, such as “Professional” or “Creative.” Users can now customize their experience on a trait-by-trait basis, rather than selecting a preset persona.

Reasons for the new ChatGPT tone controls

The update comes after months of complaints from ChatGPT users about the AI having a seemingly inconsistent conversational style.

Earlier this year, OpenAI made an unpopular update to ChatGPT in which the AI came across as being too agreeable and flattering to some. After a backlash, the company rolled back that version of the bot. However, critics then found it sounded “cold” or “robotic” in subsequent tweaks.

The changes come as part of a gradual evolution for ChatGPT as the technology has been tested with more users.

Tweaking the ChatGPT “Personality”

Beyond adjusting warmth and enthusiasm, the new ChatGPT menu also gives users control over the frequency of emoji usage. The bot will also allow more structure, letting people set their preferences for the use of headers or bullet points, for instance. While these settings don’t change the factual nature of the output, they can change its presentation dramatically.

OpenAI claims that these new settings do not impact how the AI is run behind the scenes and that it will “remember” user settings across sessions.

ChatGPT Tone use cases: A narrow or bigger impact?

Industry experts say this could help the bot be used more widely in more kinds of workflows.

The benefits of the change will likely depend on the user. Experts claim an update like this could make AI more widely useful as part of core workflows. For instance, people who want results with as little fluff as possible will likely be able to receive responses from the bot that meet their needs.

Others such as content creators and social media users could benefit from more expressive and less formal AI interactions.

ChatGPT and tone of voice: A moving target

Overall, the change could give the technology a leg up as it is integrated more widely in applications.

Tone is increasingly becoming a key battleground as AI moves beyond novelty toward everyday use for many professionals and consumers. Small shifts in tone can make ChatGPT, or any AI technology, sound more human or intuitive to people.

OpenAI’s approach to the problem with ChatGPT is an interesting example of how tech companies may build AI around people, rather than the other way around.