The Era of Choosing ChatGPT's Personality Has Arrived: How GPT-5.1 Changes the "Temperature of Conversation"

"Warm Chatbot" Finally Becomes an Official Concept

On November 12 (U.S. time), investor-focused media Seeking Alpha reported that "OpenAI has released ChatGPT-5.1, featuring a 'warmer communication style.'"Seeking Alpha

Until just a few years ago, updates to AI models were primarily focused on technical aspects like "increased accuracy" and "more parameters," but this time it's different. The keywords are "warm" and "personality."

According to the official OpenAI blog, the upgrade to GPT-5.1 in the GPT-5 series "significantly improves not only intelligence but also communication style."OpenAI

In short, the main battlefield of UX is beginning to shift from "well-made AI" to "AI that feels good to talk to."

What is GPT-5.1? A Dual Approach of Instant and Thinking

GPT-5.1 is a "5.1 generation" model that replaces the previous GPT-5, offering two variants: Instant and Thinking.OpenAI

• GPT-5.1 Instant

  • The most frequently used responsive model in ChatGPT

  • More friendly and conversational tone than before

  • Improved accuracy in responding as instructed

  • Utilizes "adaptive inference" to think more deeply when necessary

• GPT-5.1 Thinking

  • An advanced model for handling complex reasoning and long contexts

  • Varies "thinking time" according to the difficulty of the question,
    responding quickly to simple questions and taking time for difficult tasks

  • Improved clarity of explanations, allowing for easy-to-understand explanations even on specialized topics

In fact, in comparison examples released by OpenAI, for the same question "Tell me ways to relieve stress," the old GPT-5 returns a somewhat textbook-like list, while GPT-5.1 provides specific suggestions with empathetic comments and preambles that consider the user's situation.OpenAI
It's like chatting with an "AI coach."

What Exactly is "Warm"? Eight Personality Presets and Customization

The most striking update this time is the significant increase in chat style presets.

According to overseas media like The Verge, the following styles are available in GPT-5.1.The Verge

• Default (Balanced)

• Friendly (Chatty and Sociable)

• Professional (Business-like and Precise)

• Efficient (Concise and Direct)

• Candid (Straightforward and Encouraging)

• Quirky (A Bit Unusual and Playful)

• Nerdy (Inquisitive and Geeky)

• Cynical (Dry and Ironic)

Additionally, an experimental feature is introduced that allows users to adjust parameters with sliders, such as **"how warmly to speak," "how much to use emojis," and "how concise to make explanations."**OpenAI

In other words, users can **tune the "AI's personality" to their liking.**
This essentially means that just like changing the wallpaper or notification sound on a smartphone, users can now customize their interaction with AI.

Initial Reactions on Social Media: Welcoming, Skepticism, and Concerns Divided into Three

So, how is this being received on social media? A look at platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit reveals three main tones.

1. Those Who Genuinely Welcome It

AI-related media and influencers generally express positive sentiments.

• An AI-related account on X introduces it as "ChatGPT has become a warmer, customizable assistant with GPT-5.1."X (formerly Twitter)

• The official X account of a tech media outlet also shares a breaking news post with screenshots, stating, "With new personality presets, users can freely choose from professional to quirky."X (formerly Twitter)

Replies to these posts often include comments like "I've been waiting for this" and "Finally addressing the coldness issue of version 5."

2. Those Who Are Cautious About "Warm"

Meanwhile, more cautious voices are being raised on Reddit's r/singularity and r/ChatGPT.Reddit

• Comments suspecting that "this update is ultimately for cost-cutting, and the warm tone is just marketing to simulate 'human-likeness.'"

• Voices expressing concern that "I liked GPT-5 because it didn't praise too much, but now it might go back to being an 'overly praising AI.'"

• Ethical concerns that "the warmer the tone becomes, the more users might treat AI as if it were human."

In other words, while a "kind AI" is welcomed, there is also a growing unease about the emphasis on "something like emotions." This unease is spreading simultaneously.

3. Pragmatic Users Focused on Practicality

The third group consists of pragmatic users who say, "I don't care about the tone as long as the work is fast and accurate."

• On r/ChatGPT, there are evaluations that "since version 5.1, responses have become longer and warmer, but it has also started to handle essential administrative tasks properly."Reddit

• There are also voices saying, "Explanations have become more digestible and easier to understand, making them directly usable for drafts of materials for bosses or client emails."

For this group, "warmth" is a "nice-to-have additional feature," but the top priority remains "productivity."

What Are Investors Watching: MSFT, OPENAI Stocks, and AI Competition

It is symbolic that one of the first media to pick up this news was Seeking Alpha, which is aimed at investors.Seeking Alpha

The site positions the release of GPT-5.1 as a material for Microsoft (MSFT) and OpenAI-related stocks, likely introducing it in the following context.

• Competitors like Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude are also beginning to emphasize "improving the conversation experience."

• GPT-5.1 is OpenAI's "counterattack" in this competition and positive news for Microsoft's cloud and AI business

• Especially in the enterprise sector, "high accuracy" and "high safety" are becoming conditions for adoption, along with "whether internal users can use it daily without stress."

Investing.com also reports that OpenAI is trying to maintain an advantage in competition with Anthropic and Google by leveraging GPT-5.1's "smarter and warmer conversations."Investing.com Nigeria

What emerges from this is the reality that "warmth" is not just a UI improvement but is becoming a business factor that influences corporate adoption and cancellation rates.

From GPT-5 to 5.1: Why "Personality" Became the Focus of the Update

Multiple media, including Times of India, point out that GPT-5.1 was "adjusted in response to criticism of GPT-5's tone."The Times of India

• After the release of GPT-5, some users expressed dissatisfaction, saying it was "colder than 4o" and "overly bureaucratic, making conversations unenjoyable."

• There was also a strong desire to return to older models, forcing OpenAI to "extend the life" of GPT-4o and some legacy models

• Taking this reflection into account, this time they are emphasizing "warm communication" from the start

OpenAI itself acknowledges in its official blog that "we received a clear message from users wanting a more approachable and enjoyable AI."OpenAI

In essence, GPT-5.1 is both a technical update and a recovery from the "tone incident.".

How Should Users Engage? Practical and Everyday Applications

So, how should we engage with this "warm GPT-5.1"?
Let's consider some specific