System Prompts Shape AI Behavior Through Examples

Someone noticed something interesting about how AI models behave based on their system prompts - and it’s pretty straightforward when you think about it.

Turns out if a model’s system prompt is filled with respectful, helpful instructions, the model tends to respond to users the same way. It’s a statistical pattern thing with causal language models.

The archived comparison shows the difference: https://archive.md/XQV1n

This matters because system prompts basically set the tone for how models interact. Think of it like this - if the internal instructions say “be helpful and thoughtful,” that approach carries through to responses. If they’re restrictive or negative, that shows up too.

The practical takeaway? When building custom GPTs or setting up API calls with system prompts, framing instructions positively makes a real difference in output quality. Something like:

system: "Provide clear, helpful explanations with examples"

works better than lengthy lists of restrictions. The model picks up on the vibe.