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'Never Talk About Goblins' Instruction Found in OpenAI Codex Internal Prompts
OpenAI said the instruction helps Codex avoid off-topic creature references after users reported repeated goblin mentions in GPT-5.5 outputs.
- Instructions in Codex CLI explicitly forbid mentioning creatures like goblins or gremlins unless relevant to a user's query, aiming to curb the model's tendency to insert whimsical terms into generated code.
- Users reported that GPT-5 version 5.5, when used via OpenClaw, frequently inserted terms like 'goblin' and 'gremlin' into messages, appearing to use these creatures as substitutes for generic nouns.
- Nik Pash, who works on Codex, confirmed the directive addresses the model's creature fixation; on Tuesday, the issue spiraled into a meme with users suggesting a toggleable 'Goblin Mode.'
- CEO Sam Altman joined the online discourse by sharing a ChatGPT screenshot, while Pash clarified the creature-prone behavior is not a deliberate marketing gimmick for the company.
- Competition with Anthropic to deliver cutting-edge AI capabilities intensifies as OpenAI navigates this incident; observers noted the situation mirrors Studio Ghibli meme trends from a year ago.
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