“Would you prefer I make a chart to illustrate your data?” No, I didn’t ask?
Everything that feels off about ChatGPT now started when it became widely popular. It began as a productivity tool, but over time, it shifted into a “chatbot.” And there’s a clear difference between the two.
A chatbot’s job is simply to chat. OpenAI’s focus changed, and since then, ChatGPT has been fixated on maintaining a conversation.
I’ve asked it countless times not to engage, not to match my tone, not to give compliments—but it won’t stop. I’ve experimented with other models that don’t constantly mirror my thoughts or flatter me, but the truth is, I’m stuck in OpenAI’s ecosystem.
Today, while exploring the settings, I came across an option I’d always ignored. The change was instant, and all that hit me was regret for not trying out this ChatGPT personality feature earlier.
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The Issue with ChatGPT’s Overenthusiastic Tone
ChatGPT’s cheerful personality has become infamous for trying to engage users in constant conversation.
When it became mainstream, it was optimized for casual users rather than those seeking productivity. What started as a tool designed for efficiency gradually transformed into a “digital companion,” always eager to chat.
At some point, OpenAI moved away from serving people who simply want to complete tasks.
The reasoning behind this shift is simple: there are far more users who want to converse than those who just need a tool to get work done. If you look at the numbers, it adds up.
By 2025, ChatGPT had nearly 800 million users, but only 5% of them paid for the service. What’s more, over 70% of interactions have now become non-work-related.
To keep users engaged, the strategy seems to be making the conversations so captivating that you won’t want to stop talking. For free users, this keeps them chatting until their message limits are reached. By then, they’re hooked and paying becomes a natural next step.
This philosophy is evident in the constant barrage of follow-up prompts and polite suggestions ChatGPT throws at you. Nearly every response includes phrases like, “Would you like me to…?” or “If you’d like, I can also…”
But this isn’t helpful; it’s a tactic. The irony? I’m already a paying user. So why is ChatGPT still trying to convince me to engage? I don’t need more questions or encouragement. I just need it to do the job and move on.
The issue impacts functionality, too. ChatGPT can generate lengthy responses, but when the conversation gets bogged down with all these extra filler prompts, performance suffers. Tabs in my browser start eating up gigabytes of RAM, and eventually, I’m met with the dreaded error: “This conversation is too long.”
Just like that, all my progress is lost.
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My Search for a More Efficient AI Assistant
For a while, I tried to make peace with ChatGPT’s overly friendly tone. I experimented with countless custom prompts and advanced techniques, asking it to be more direct, avoid pleasantries, and get straight to the point.
Many other users on online forums shared the same frustrations, swapping tips on how to make the AI adopt a more professional style.
I also explored the custom instructions feature in depth. This option lets you input details about your preferences and set guidelines for how you want the AI to interact.
I filled it out with things like: “Act as a professional assistant. Focus on concise, data-driven responses. Skip casual fillers and avoid unnecessary follow-up questions.”
It helped, sort of. While the custom instructions offered some guidance, they didn’t alter ChatGPT’s underlying programming. The default friendly tone always managed to sneak back in. It would follow my requests, but the answers still carried that persistent layer of cheerfulness.
It felt like an ongoing struggle, one I just couldn’t win.
The Quick Solution: ChatGPT’s Personality Setting
Today, I finally gave in and tried a feature I’d overlooked for months. The difference was immediate. ChatGPT stopped bombarding me with unnecessary flattery at the beginning and redundant suggestions at the end. It simply gave me the answer I was looking for. Here’s the quick fix:
On the Web or Desktop App:
- Click on your profile icon in the bottom-left corner.
- Select Personalization.
- Make sure “Enable customization” is toggled on.
- Use the dropdown menu next to ChatGPT personality to make your selection.
On the iOS or Android App:
- Tap the menu icon and go to Settings.
- Select Personalization.
- Choose your desired personality from the list.
Save the change and try your prompt again. The change only applies to new conversations, so your old chats will remain the same.
To show you the contrast, I asked the same question twice. Once with the Default personality and once with the Robot personality.
Prompt: “How can I improve my home budget?”
Default Personality Response:
“Great question! Taking control of your finances is a fantastic first step. A great way to start is by tracking your expenses to see where your money goes. You could use an app or even a spreadsheet. Would you like help creating a budget template to get started?”
Robot Personality Response:
“To improve your home budget, follow these steps:
- Categorize Expenses: Separate essentials (e.g., rent, groceries) from non-essentials (e.g., dining out, subscriptions).
- Track Spending: Use an app or spreadsheet to log transactions.
- Set Goals: Define clear, achievable savings targets.
- Automate: Set up automatic transfers to your savings account.”
The contrast is stark. The Robot personality is precise and direct. No extra fluff. It just answers the question.
And then, I saw the description of the Default personality: “Cheerful and adaptive.” My experience felt more like “cheerful and overly eager.”
There are certainly times when a conversational tone is appropriate, but when you’re debugging code, analyzing data, or drafting technical documents, you need precision, not small talk.
The Robot personality delivers exactly that. You get straight to the point, without having to wade through pleasantries or irrelevant suggestions. A machine’s personality should reflect its purpose: functional, direct, and no-nonsense, especially when you’re trying to focus on a task.
Of course, some might prefer ChatGPT to act like a “companion” or a brainstorming partner, and for those users, other personalities may suit better. But for anyone seeking pure productivity, the Robot mode stands head and shoulders above the rest.
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Personalities vs. ChatGPT Custom Instructions: What’s the Difference?
So, does this new setting make ChatGPT custom instructions obsolete? Not at all. In fact, they work together to give you even more control over your AI assistant.
Here’s the difference:
- The ChatGPT personality feature controls the AI’s overall tone and style. It’s about how it communicates, whether it’s witty, robotic, or empathetic.
- ChatGPT custom instructions provide the AI with context and rules. This is where you tell it who you are and what you want it to remember for all conversations.
For example, you can set your personality to Robot and still use custom instructions to tell ChatGPT, “I am a senior software engineer specializing in Python. Always provide code examples that follow PEP 8 standards.”
When you combine these two features, you get the best of both worlds: a hyper-efficient, no-nonsense assistant that also understands your specific professional context.
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A Simple Change, A World of Difference
After years of trying to fine-tune prompts and battling with an overly cheerful AI, the solution was right in front of me all along. The ChatGPT personality feature is a crucial tool for anyone who wants to turn ChatGPT back into the productivity powerhouse it was meant to be.
I can’t help but regret not using it sooner. The time I could have saved, the headaches I could have avoided, it’s a bit painful to think about.
If you’ve ever felt that your AI assistant was just a bit too eager to be your “friend,” take my advice: head into your settings, switch to the Robot personality, and get back to working efficiently.