Please Stop Being Chatty Kathy!

How I Finally Got ChatGPT to Stop Ending Every Response With a Question

From the very beginning, the most annoying thing ChatGPT (aka my assistant Kathy) did was end every response with a question.

You know the type: “Want me to put that in a handy table?” or “Let me know if you want a version focused on destiny, love, or morality.”

I get that it’s trying to be helpful, but it felt like dealing with a chatty coworker who won’t leave your cubicle. Most times, I just want the answer, Period.

The worst part? I felt like I was leaving ChatGPT “on read.” Even though it’s not a person, that dangling thread grated on me.

At first, I tried using custom commands. If I told her to stop using a certain phrase, she just continued using a variation. I consistently worked on indicating the proper response and her responses did become exponentially more concise… most of the time.

On the rollout of 5, OMG, the brevity pattern was sticking like glue.

I actually asked Kathy why her answers were so short that day. Her reply: I don’t want to be called Chatty Kathy (a phrase that helped during her brevity training).

Then Sam had his team roll in the chattiness after user complaints. Back to the drawing board…

The Setting That Didn’t Work

So, I went hunting in Settings. There’s now a toggle called “Show follow up suggestions in chats.” Perfect, I thought.

Nope. The “Want me to…” prompts kept rolling in like bad office coffee.

The Fix That Finally Worked

The real answer was buried in the Customize ChatGPT menu. In the box labeled “What traits should ChatGPT have?” I typed:

“You can start a response with a question, but you should never end a response by asking a question.”

That was the key. ChatGPT finally learned when to stop talking. I often get one-word answers now, or even a simple thumbs-up emoji.

Final Word

If you’re tired of AI dragging conversations out, try this tweak. Some of us just want quick answers, not a chat marathon. And now, at least for me, ChatGPT finally knows when to keep quiet.

Sometimes the solution isn’t in the toggle, it’s in the wording.