OpenAI has announced a significant expansion of its ‘custom instructions’ feature, allowing all users, including those on the free tier, to harness greater control over ChatGPT’s responses. This feature, initially introduced as a beta exclusively for ChatGPT Plus subscribers in July, empowers users to incorporate specific preferences and criteria to guide the AI chatbot’s interactions.
The primary advantage of this feature is its ability to streamline user experience by eliminating the need to repeatedly craft instruction prompts with each interaction. For instance, users can instruct ChatGPT to adhere to character limits or customize the tone of its responses, as elucidated by TechCrunch.
For illustrative purposes, a teacher utilizing ChatGPT to formulate a lesson plan could do so without the constant repetition of their role as a 3rd-grade educator to receive tailored responses that align with their context.
Developers, too, stand to benefit from this enhancement. They can now request the chatbot to provide responses in preferred languages or exclude unwanted ones, thereby enhancing language-specific interactions.
OpenAI emphasized the pivotal role of steerability in addressing diverse contexts and individual requirements, gleaned from interactions with users spanning 22 countries.
Previously, the custom instructions feature was accessible exclusively to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, who paid $20 monthly. This week marks a pivotal shift as OpenAI extends this capability to both free and Plus users, encompassing iOS and Android platforms. Furthermore, custom instructions can now be utilized even when chat history is disabled.
To leverage custom instructions, users can initiate the process by selecting “Custom instructions” after clicking on their profile name. OpenAI also announced upcoming expansion of this feature across the EU and U.K. in the near future.