ChatGPT developed a goblin obsession after OpenAI tried to make it nerdy

Following the release of GPT-5.5 last week, people noticed something funny about OpenAI's latest model. In its Codex coding app, the company left a system prompt instructing GPT 5.5 to avoid mention of goblins, gremlins and other creatures. Yes, you read that right. Never talk about goblins, gremlins, racoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant to the user's query, the prompt reads. Apparently, enough people started talking about ChatGPT's creature obsession that OpenAI felt the need to provide an accounting of where the goblins came from .