ChatGPT gives a number of methods to customise and personalize your conversations. You may share particulars about your life, together with your identify, your occupation, or different tidbits. You are capable of inform it what traits it ought to possess, reminiscent of endurance, sympathy, or understanding. You may add and save sure information about your self and inform it to reference recollections from previous conversations.
That every one sounds useful. However what does ChatGPT do with the data it is aware of about you? I shared sure particulars about myself and my life to search out out. Here is what occurred.
First, I will cowl the ways in which I personalized and customized ChatGPT. You are able to do this on the ChatGPT web site, within the Home windows or Mac app, or within the iOS or Android app. I discovered it best to do that on the web site and the Home windows app.
Earlier than we transfer forward, at all times watch out what private info you share about your self with ChatGPT or any AI. OpenAI guarantees that the small print aren’t accessible to employees members or are at the very least anonymized. Nonetheless, you may wish to be cautious. Share simply sufficient about your self to make the conversations extra customized and fascinating. However do not reveal something you would not need one other particular person to learn about you.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s mother or father firm, filed an April 2025 lawsuit in opposition to OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in coaching and working its AI techniques.)
To get began, click on your profile icon and choose Settings. On the Settings window, click on the setting for Personalization after which choose Customized directions. Within the subject for “What ought to ChatGPT name you?” enter your first identify or a nickname, whichever your choose. Within the subject for “What do you do?” enter your occupation. In my case, I advised the AI that I used to be a contract author and journalist.
The subsequent subject asks you to decide on what traits ChatGPT ought to have. That is price establishing as it should affect how the AI behaves in a dialog. Click on any of the traits beneath so as to add them, reminiscent of chatty, witty, encouraging, or skeptical. Click on the refresh button to show a brand new set of traits and click on any you wish to embrace. In return, ChatGPT will increase the phrases you choose into full sentences.
CNET: AI obituary pirates are exploiting our grief. I tracked one down to search out out why
Within the subject for “Anything ChatGPT ought to learn about you?” enter anything about your self that you simply’d need ChatGPT to know. On my finish, I wrote that I am married and that my spouse and I personal a black cat named Mr. Giggles. I additionally added that I am a giant fan of outdated motion pictures, jazz, “Star Trek,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Physician Who,” and “Spider-Man.”
When completed, activate the change for Allow for brand spanking new chats after which click on Save.
Present extra
Within the Reminiscence part, activate the switches for “Reference saved recollections” and “Reference chat historical past.” When referencing saved recollections, ChatGPT will use the data you offered within the customized directions. When referencing your chat historical past, the AI will use info you’ve got shared in earlier conversations. You will wish to strive each choices if you would like to offer ChatGPT that additional private contact.
Present extra
Past the small print you share as recollections, you can too drop tidbits about your self in an everyday chat. For instance, you may ask ChatGPT to put in writing a poem about peanut butter and jelly during which you reveal that PB&J was your favourite sandwich as a child.
In my case, I advised the AI that my favourite sandwich is lox with a dollop of cream cheese on a toasted poppy seed bagel and that my favourite drink is a chocolate egg cream. I then requested it for the origins of each. ChatGPT answered my query and added my two favourite treats to the saved recollections about me.
Present extra
It’s also possible to instantly handle any recollections that ChatGPT has saved. For this, head again to Settings, choose Personalization, and click on the hyperlink for Handle Reminiscences. Right here, you possibly can evaluate your saved recollections and delete any you now not need.
Present extra
After I personalized and customized ChatGPT, I took it for a spin to see the way it responded in our conversations.
In a single dialog, I advised it to call some songs from my favourite singer, and the AI gave me a listing of tunes by Billie Vacation. It then provided to compile a listing of the songs, ultimately placing it in a playlist with hyperlinks so I might take heed to them instantly in Apple Music.
Present extra
In one other dialog, I requested ChatGPT to call some locations the place I can get my favourite drink in my favourite metropolis. In response, it confirmed me a listing of eating places and outlets in New York Metropolis the place I might order a chocolate egg cream. It then displayed a map with the situation of every spot on the checklist.
Lastly, this is the place ChatGPT obtained actually intelligent. I requested it to outline a tachyon, a hypothetical particle that may transfer sooner than the pace of sunshine. The AI outlined the phrase after which confirmed examples of tachyons in “Star Trek” and “Physician Who,” two of my favourite TV reveals.
It then provided to put in writing a brief sci-fi story involving tachyons, time journey, and Mr. Giggles, my cat. The ensuing story was enjoyable and artistic. From there, ChatGPT might flip it right into a full quick story, a comic book script, or an audio drama define.
I did not inform the AI to include Mr. Giggles into the dialog; it did that by itself. However this reveals the surprises that may pop up if you share simply sufficient about your self with ChatGPT.
Get the morning’s prime tales in your inbox every day with our Tech In the present day e-newsletter.
