Update: OpenAI officially announced this feature a week after several users reported the arrival, then disappearance, of a new option. It is possible that he lived prematurely. OpenAI introduces a new way for users to manage their interactions with ChatGPT, the company’s AI-powered chatbot. On Friday, OpenAI announced the launch of a new user interface for ChatGPT’s custom instruction menu, including a new way to customize the chatbot’s properties. The feature will roll out first on ChatGPT.com and the Windows desktop app, according to OpenAI, and will come to mobile and MacOS desktop apps in the coming weeks. We’ve updated our custom instructions to make it easier to customize how ChatGPT responds to you. With the new UI, you can tell ChatGPT what traits you want it to have, how you want it to talk to you, and any rules you want. to follow. pic.twitter.com/BaXaqAw5cE— OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 17, 2025 The new UI will not be available to ChatGPT users in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, OpenAI said in a tweet on Friday. Some users on X reported last week that ChatGPT’s custom guide menu on the web has been modified with new fields. Now, users can specify their preferred name or nickname, their profession, other things they want ChatGPT to know about them, and the “traits” they want in the chatbot. OpenAI recommends traits like “Chatty,” “Encouraging,” and “Gen Z.” It’s important to note that this has nothing to do with ChatGPT’s memory feature, which allows users to explicitly tell ChatGPT to remember — or forget — something. More confusingly, ChatGPT’s “memories” can be personal details – but they can also include some information relevant to the conversation. “Introduce yourself to get a better and more personalized response,” says the message on the updated menu. Image Credit: Tibor Blaho (opens in new window) The selection has not been seen by this reporter. TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for comment and will update this article if we hear back. It is likely that the new menu is more of an aesthetic makeover than a deep technical upgrade. The old custom guidance feature uses what is known as a quick technique to guide ChatGPT’s style and tone. In essence, this is an AI “prime” that powers ChatGPT with a paragraph of instructions that the user provides so that the answers match those requirements and preferences. As far as we can tell, the new menu still depends on fast engineering. It just presents in a user-friendly way. OpenAI has previously said it uses moderation for specific instructions to check that they comply with their terms of use. Of course, this does not change with the modified personalization settings. OpenAI has looked to polish ChatGPT as its user base grows, adding capabilities like live web search and a “Canvas” interface designed for writing and coding projects. The company said in December that more than 300 million people use its chatbot every week.
