ChatGPT will cease discussing goblins and gremlins as it moves away from its "nerdy" persona.
A "Nerdy" personality setting inadvertently led ChatGPT to develop a fondness for goblins.
If you've been interacting with ChatGPT recently and have noticed unusual references to goblins, gremlins, ogres, or trolls, you’re not just imagining it. OpenAI has clarified why ChatGPT has taken on this peculiarity and how it is being addressed.
How a “nerdy” quirk became a widespread issue
The issue quietly began with the release of GPT-5.1 in November. Following this launch, the frequency of "goblin" in ChatGPT’s responses surged by 175%, while "gremlin" increased by 52%. The reason for this was a personality setting called “Nerdy,” which was intended to make the AI appear playful and intellectually curious.
During its training, OpenAI inadvertently granted the model disproportionately high rewards for responses that utilized creature-based metaphors, and this behavior quickly became established.
What led a single personality setting to generate so many goblin references?
Here’s where it becomes more intriguing. Users who never activated the Nerdy personality also began noticing goblin references in their conversations. This is because AI training isn't restricted to a single setting. Once the model was rewarded for such responses, this behavior permeated general replies across the platform.
OpenAI reports that the Nerdy personality accounted for a mere 2.5% of all ChatGPT responses, yet it was responsible for 66.7% of the goblin mentions.
So, how is OpenAI rectifying this issue?
OpenAI discontinued the Nerdy personality in March with the release of ChatGPT-5.4, leading to a significant decline in goblin references. The company also removed the reward signal influencing this behavior and filtered the training data to minimize mentions of other mythical creatures.
However, the coding tool Codex required a separate override instruction since it began training before the underlying issue was identified. Fantasy enthusiasts can still manually access goblin mode in Codex if desired.
OpenAI is also addressing other personality-related matters, including putting its previously hinted adult mode for verified users on indefinite hold.
Manisha is a Writer at Digital Trends, covering the latest developments in tech, science, AI, gaming, and entertainment.
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