ChatGPT has many 'personalities'; here's how to choose the style that best suits your question.

ChatGPT can act as a personal or expert advisor (within reasonable limits), but it doesn't always offer advice in the way you'd like.

 

Each of us is attracted to different types of mentors and has our own preferences regarding communication styles. This depends on our individual personalities and inclinations.

Some people appreciate straightforwardness but with a gentle touch. Others are sensitive and need positive encouragement. But there are also those who, when chatting with ChatGPT, feel compelled to say beforehand: 'Speak directly, don't beat around the bush.' They don't want a chatbot pretending to be a close friend — because that's a rather sensitive psychological area.

Before delving deeper, it's important to remember that using chatbots always prioritizes safety and awareness. There are many tips to help you use ChatGPT more effectively, such as assigning it a specific role, asking it to act as a 'critique,' or using trigger keywords. AI models are constantly being updated, so you should also keep an eye out for new features.

 

However, beyond the prompt writing style, the personalization settings in ChatGPT are where you can truly customize how the AI ​​responds.

Personalize your experience with ChatGPT.

'Personality' here refers to the style and tone that ChatGPT uses when responding. It doesn't change the ability to process information, but only the way it expresses itself.

Currently, in addition to the default mode, ChatGPT offers seven more styles: professional, friendly, straightforward, quirky, efficient, nerdy, and skeptical. These options will be rolled out from November 2025 and are available in the free plan.

To adjust, simply open Settings, select Personalization, and set your desired basic style, tone, and characteristics.

You can also customize the answer format, for example, requesting that the content be kept in three main points, providing the answer first and then the detailed explanation, not using emojis, or adding a checklist.

 

Additionally, users can provide preferred nicknames, occupations, and other background information to help the model understand the context. However, assigning intimate nicknames should be considered carefully, as chatbots are not, after all, a real personal relationship.

OpenAI's perspective

A member of OpenAI's ChatGPT communications team shared that users should adjust settings based on their search purpose. For example, when asking about work, you can choose a professional tone; while for sensitive topics like reproductive health, a straightforward and direct style might be more appropriate. For instance:

1. Combine personality with clear instructions. Personality will determine.

Feel it; your reminder sets the goal. Add a short sentence like:

"Give me three options, and keep the length under 120 words."

2. Override it at any time with a simple reminder. Even if your base personality is Friendly, you can still say:

"Answer like a lawyer." / "Speak briefly and concisely." / "Speak softly."

3. Characteristics that allow you to fine-tune how ChatGPT responds without changing its capabilities: Think about brevity, tone, formatting, and the level of emoji use. These work in conjunction with the personality you've chosen.

4. The personal style you've chosen is also applied in Voice Mode, shaping how your responses sound. Choose the style that best suits your desired experience.

This is important because how ChatGPT responds can inadvertently influence how you think about an issue. When interacting with AI, it's crucial to be aware of the risk of 'confirmation bias'—the tendency to only seek out and believe information that reinforces an existing viewpoint.

In other words, it's not just the question that determines the quality of the answer, but also how the AI ​​'talks' to you that can shape your perspective. Choosing the right style will help you utilize this tool more effectively and thoughtfully.