ChatGPT users can now choose to interact with a ‘Quirky’ version of the AI chatbot.
The update is part of a major update to ChatGPT, unveiled by OpenAI on Wednesday, designed to make it “smarter, more enjoyable to talk to, and more adaptable”.
The ‘Quirky’ option is one of three new personality types, alongside ‘Professional’ and ‘Candid’. They add to the ‘Cynical’ and ‘Nerdy’ options that were introduced earlier this year.
“These options are designed to align with what we’ve learned about how people naturally steer the model, making it quick and intuitive to choose a personality that feels uniquely right,” OpenAI said in a blog post.
“We’re also experimenting with the ability to tune ChatGPT’s characteristics directly from personalisation settings – including how concise, warm, or scannable its responses are, and how frequently it uses emojis.”
The personality types are available to all ChatGPT users and take effect across all chats, including ongoing conversations.
OpenAI has faced pushback from users following previous updates, with the company drawing heavy criticism on social media for an overly sycophantic version earlier this year.
The company was forced to retract the update, after accepting that its “overly flattering” tone could be dangerous for some users.
“GPT‑4o skewed towards responses that were overly supportive but disingenuous," the company said at the time. "Sycophantic interactions can be uncomfortable, unsettling, and cause distress. We fell short and are working on getting it right."
The latest GPT-5.1 update also introduced ‘Instant’ and ‘Thinking’ models, with the first designed to provide “warmer, more intelligent” responses, and the second built to performer faster on simple tasks and be more persistent on complex ones.
The overhaul is meant to go beyond a “one-size-fits-all” for the 800 million people using ChatGPT, according to OpenAI’s head of applications, Fidji Simo.
“Some [users] want extremely direct and neutral responses. Others want empathy and conversation. Most people have needs for both, but they don’t want different personas or split personalities,” she wrote in a post explaining the new features.
“Instead of trying to build one perfect experience that fits everyone (which would be impossible), we want ChatGPT to feel like yours and work with you in the way that suits you best.”
