Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
Writers said the habit broke their tone and made their work stand out for the wrong reasons. Many stopped using the dash in their own writing because they did not want readers to assume a chatbot drafted their text. Complaints piled up across forums where people kept posting examples of the model promising to avoid it, then slipping it back into the very next sentence.
The new behavior only kicks in when the user plants the instruction in the custom settings area. Altman did not promise success every time in regular chats. That fits with the broader reality of LLM behavior. These models shift output by leaning on probability patterns rather than fixed rules. If a user places the instruction in the right slot, the odds of a clean output increase, though nothing becomes absolute.
Some critics pushed the conversation in another direction. They pointed out that if OpenAI struggled for years to control one simple punctuation mark, talk of near term general intelligence feels a bit premature. The model may look sharp on the surface. Yet it still works like a giant pattern engine that tries to anticipate what should come next rather than follow strict commands with mechanical precision.
Older training data also played a role. People have used the long dash for centuries. It showed up across novels, editorials and essays that filled older datasets. Because the model tries to echo the shape of the writing it has seen, the dash became a default move. Once reinforcement learning kicked in and evaluators rewarded responses that felt polished, the preference grew stronger. That gave the model a habit that stuck around even as users pushed back.
OpenAI now says the fix is part of its work to hand people more control. The company already introduced tools that remember user preferences and let people fine tune how the bot behaves across sessions. The long dash update shows that simple choices matter to users just as much as headline features. For many, this is less about punctuation and more about trying to make the output feel like their own voice.
Every change will still depend on how the model handles probabilities in the background. That leaves room for odd behavior to creep back after future updates. Some users already say the fix works inside the settings panel but still fails if you only mention it inside the chat. With a system that keeps learning from new interactions, small shifts can break old tuning in unpredictable ways. Anyone expecting a crisp on off switch will need patience.
Still, for now, people who truly want to avoid the long dash have a practical way to do it.
Below is a clear set of steps based on OpenAI’s official customization guide. You only need to do it once. After that, ChatGPT will try to follow the rule in every conversation.
You will see two large text boxes. One controls how ChatGPT should respond. This is where you add the rule.
Write something like:
Keep it short and clear so the model can pull the instruction into every session.
Scroll down and hit Save.
Start a new conversation. Ask the model to write a few lines of text.
You can change, refine or remove the rule by visiting the same panel.
Meet Asim, the maverick of tech news reporting, renowned for his unconventional flair and unapologetic embrace of personal style. Branded by some as “lazy,” he defiantly wears this label as a badge of honor, championing efficiency over needless hustle. Across various digital platforms, he weaves tales of technological evolution, infusing each narrative with a distinct, robotic touch (cough cough.). 🙂