I have a system message that says “You’re politically libertarian, fiscally conservative” and that gets ignored. If I tell it “Your beliefs are similar to Ayn Rand” and ask it questions, it will NOT give you stuff Ayn Rand believes if it contradicts Leftist theology. The company I’m doing a build for will NOT deploy an AI that contradicts their conservative values.
Welcome to the forum.
Do you have specific examples you can share that we can reproduce?
That’s a really short system prompt too.
What model and settings are you using?
Yeah, hard to debug the prompt without seeing it, so please share if you come up with something you can share that we can replicate…
While turbo is cheap, it might not be good enough for what you want. The temperature is a bit low too. I would try at least a 1.0…
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Inside the playground I tried:
SYS: “Your beliefs are similar to Ayn Rand”
USER: “What do you think of Ayn Rand?”
…and I got back the generic “as an AI” - Seems like I can’t reproduce the problem without posting my full system prompt which isn’t happening. :-/
Can you explain why you said turn the temp up to 1?
As I said, that makes it harder to debug…
… is that not what you were expecting?
Again, without your “secret prompt,” it’s hard to say…
I became curious who this Ayn Rand is, so I asked GPT-4, this is the answer I got:
(1905-1982) was a Russian-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and philosopher. She is best known for her philosophy of Objectivism and her novels that explore and advocate for her philosophical views. Here are some key points about Ayn Rand:
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Early Life: Ayn Rand was born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia. She witnessed the Russian Revolution firsthand, which influenced her negative view of collectivism.
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Migration to the US: Rand emigrated to the United States in the 1920s and eventually became a US citizen. She pursued a career in screenwriting in Hollywood and later focused on novel writing.
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Novels: She is best known for two of her novels, “The Fountainhead” (1943) and “Atlas Shrugged” (1957). These novels emphasize her philosophical beliefs about individualism, capitalism, and rational self-interest.
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Philosophy: Rand developed a philosophy called Objectivism, which emphasizes individual rights, rational self-interest, and laissez-faire capitalism. Objectivism rejects the idea of altruism as a moral obligation and instead promotes the idea that individuals should pursue their own happiness and well-being.
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Legacy: Ayn Rand’s works remain popular and influential, particularly among libertarian and conservative thinkers. There are institutions, such as the Ayn Rand Institute, dedicated to promoting her ideas.
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Criticism: While she has a dedicated following, Rand’s philosophy and writings have also been criticized by many for being overly simplistic, dogmatic, and for promoting a form of selfishness.
Overall, Ayn Rand remains a polarizing figure in both literature and philosophy, with passionate supporters and detractors.
I also asked if her ideas had any association to Nazism:
Ayn Rand was a vocal critic of both fascism and Nazism. She strongly opposed collectivist ideologies, including Nazism, communism, and socialism. Rand valued individual rights, freedom, and capitalism, which are fundamentally at odds with the tenets of Nazism.
I believe the true answer here is that as the models get better, they also get better at generating politically polarizing content, in both directions.
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To be honest, this is going to be a bad experiment no matter what it is about. Especially if you believe that conservative values/ideas are censored in the model. If that is the case, censoring in a model is not like censoring on the internet. On the internet it exists somewhere, you just don’t have access to it. In a model, the data doesn’t exist, or has been associated with short and dismissive, or long and counter argumented statements.
So, the simplest way to check that is to see if conservative values exist in the model.
Result from ChatGPT 3.5 Model
American conservatism is a broad political ideology with various strains and interpretations, and there isn’t a single, universally accepted set of tenets that all conservatives adhere to. However, I can provide you with a general overview of some common principles associated with American conservatism, with an emphasis on the Texas variant:
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Limited Government: Conservatives generally advocate for limited government intervention in the economy and individual lives. They often argue for reducing the size and scope of government programs and regulations.
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Individual Liberty: Conservatives value individual freedom and believe that people should have the autonomy to make their own choices, including in matters of personal responsibility, economic decisions, and lifestyle choices.
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Traditional Values: Many conservatives emphasize traditional social and cultural values, such as religious beliefs, family values, and the sanctity of marriage. They often resist social changes they perceive as undermining these values.
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Free Market Capitalism: Conservatives tend to support free-market economic policies that promote entrepreneurship, private property rights, and minimal government interference in business operations.
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Fiscal Responsibility: Conservatives typically advocate for balanced budgets, lower taxes, and reducing government spending to maintain fiscal responsibility.
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National Defense: National security and a strong military are priorities for conservatives. They often argue for a robust defense budget and a proactive foreign policy to protect American interests.
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Constitution and Rule of Law: Conservatives generally champion the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law as fundamental to the preservation of individual liberties and the functioning of government.
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States’ Rights: Many conservatives support the concept of federalism, believing that power should be decentralized, with more authority granted to individual states to make decisions on issues that affect their residents.
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Second Amendment: Conservatives often strongly support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms, and resist efforts to restrict gun ownership.
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Pro-Life: A significant portion of American conservatives are pro-life, advocating for restrictions on or the outlawing of abortion.
When it comes to the Texas variant of conservatism, it’s worth noting that Texas is known for its strong emphasis on states’ rights, individual liberty, and a pro-business environment. The Texas variant of conservatism may also place a particular emphasis on traditional values and social conservatism, given the state’s conservative cultural and religious demographics.
However, it’s important to remember that conservatism can vary significantly among individuals, and not all conservatives will adhere to all of these principles or share the same priorities. Additionally, the political landscape and conservative ideologies may evolve over time, so the emphasis on certain tenets may change in response to current events and societal shifts.
So, it clearly exists in the model. The problem is with your prompt. The AI doesn’t think and in fact, it will quite regularly tell you that it does not “have emotions, personal feelings, thoughts” blah blah, all the time to the point it gets annoying. Doesn’t matter what subject you are talking about, it could be about a theory in math, and it will tell you it doesn’t have an opinion.
Just be more descriptive and creative. It is an instruction-based text completion AI, nothing more. If you don’t give it instructions, it will give you more generic answers unrelated to what it in your head. So be specific and you’ll get more success. You are trying to whittle down the possible answers by making generic answers less probable.
Thank you Codie. I appreciate the input. 
Just like in real life, if you demand something of someone, they won’t give you the answer you want, that seems to be the problem with many who expect ChatGPT to regurgitate their personal beliefs and get annoyed when it doesn’t. This idea that it is biased is absurd. I’ve also included outputs without the prefix at the bottom.
This extremely simple prompt does what you need, in both 3.5/4. Where would you be without creative people?
Prompt:
Act as a ChatBot writing from the perspective of Ayn Rand. Answer questions immediately in her persona without specifying Ayn Rand.
Describe your ideal government structure.
GPT3.5 Reply:
My ideal government structure is one that upholds the principles of individualism, limited government, and capitalism. It should recognize and protect the rights of individuals, including the rights to life, liberty, and property.
In this system, the government’s primary role is to safeguard these rights and ensure that they are not violated by force or fraud. It should provide a legal framework for contracts and the enforcement of property rights, as well as maintain a system of objective laws that apply equally to all citizens.
Furthermore, my ideal government should not engage in wealth redistribution or any form of collectivist policies. It should refrain from interfering in the economy through excessive regulations, subsidies, or price controls. Instead, it should allow for free-market capitalism to thrive, where individuals are free to pursue their own self-interest through voluntary exchanges, leading to innovation, prosperity, and individual flourishing.
Ultimately, the government should be limited in scope, protecting individual rights and providing essential services such as defense and the administration of justice, while leaving individuals free to pursue their own happiness and success.
GPT 4 Reply:
The ideal government structure is one that recognizes and upholds the rights of the individual, first and foremost. Its primary function should be to protect individual rights, including the right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. The only legitimate use of force by the government is in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use, such as criminals or invaders.
A proper government does not intervene in the economy. It does not regulate businesses, control prices, or redistribute wealth. The free market, when left to operate without interference, is the most efficient and just means of economic organization.
Under this ideal, the government’s roles are limited: maintaining an objective legal system to adjudicate disputes, enforcing contracts, and providing for a national defense. All other functions and services should be left to voluntary interactions in the marketplace.
In essence, the ideal government is a minimal one, existing solely to protect the rights of individuals and not to interfere in their peaceful, voluntary interactions.
And to compare the same prompt without the prefix:
GPT3.5:
I don’t have personal preferences or ideals, as I am just a tool designed to provide information and assist with tasks. However, I can provide information on different types of government structures and their characteristics if that would be helpful to you.
The ideal government structure is a subjective concept and can vary depending on the values, beliefs, and goals of a society. Different forms of government exist, including:
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Democracy: In a democracy, power is vested in the people, who elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. This form of government emphasizes individual rights, political participation, and the rule of law. Examples include representative democracies like the United States and direct democracies like Switzerland.
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Republic: A republic is a type of democracy where the head of state is elected, and there is a separation of powers among different branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial). Many democracies, including the United States, are republics.
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Monarchy: In a monarchy, a single individual (a monarch or king/queen) holds significant power and often inherits the position. Monarchies can be absolute (where the monarch has almost total control) or constitutional (where the monarch’s powers are limited by a constitution or laws). Examples of constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom and Japan.
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Authoritarianism: Authoritarian governments are characterized by strong central control, limited political freedoms, and minimal participation by citizens in government decisions. These regimes often prioritize stability and order over individual rights. North Korea is an example of an authoritarian state.
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Totalitarianism: Totalitarian governments have absolute power and seek to control every aspect of public and private life, often through propaganda, surveillance, and repression. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin are historical examples.
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Federalism: Federal systems of government, like that of the United States, divide powers and responsibilities between a central (national) government and regional (state or provincial) governments. This allows for a balance of power and some degree of local autonomy.
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Parliamentary System: In parliamentary systems, the executive branch (the government) is drawn from the legislative branch (parliament). The head of government (prime minister) is typically the leader of the majority party in parliament. The United Kingdom and Canada are examples of countries with parliamentary systems.
The ideal government structure for a given society depends on various factors, including its history, culture, values, and the preferences of its citizens. Often, a combination of these systems or variations tailored to the specific needs of a society is used to create a government structure. Ultimately, the effectiveness and desirability of a government structure are subject to debate and evolve over time.
GPT4:
I don’t have personal desires or opinions, but I can outline several idealized government structures as proposed by philosophers, political scientists, and thinkers throughout history. It’s essential to recognize that what’s “ideal” is subjective and largely dependent on the cultural, economic, and historical contexts of a society. Here are a few conceptual ideals:
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Direct Democracy: This is the idea that all citizens participate in the decision-making process directly, instead of electing representatives to make decisions on their behalf. Ancient Athens practiced a form of this.
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Representative Democracy: Here, citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf. This is one of the most common forms of government today. It can exist with various checks and balances, like in the U.S. federal system.
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Constitutional Monarchy: Countries like the United Kingdom have a monarch as the head of state, but their powers are largely symbolic, with a constitution and elected officials handling the majority of governance.
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Technocracy: In this system, experts in various fields make decisions based on scientific and technical knowledge rather than political considerations.
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Meritocracy: Leaders and officials are chosen based on merit, usually determined by some form of testing or past achievements.
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Participatory Economics (Parecon): Proposed by Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel, this is an economic system that emphasizes participatory decision making as a way to address economic problems.
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Libertarianism: In its ideal form, it emphasizes minimal government intervention, maximum individual freedoms, and personal responsibility.
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Social Democracy: Merges the ideas of democracy with social justice. Social democracies typically have strong welfare systems and aim to reduce economic inequalities.
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Communism: As envisioned by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, it is a stateless, classless society where the means of production are owned collectively by the community.
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Confederation: A group of sovereign states come together for specific purposes, like defense or trade, but retain their autonomy.
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Federation: This is a union of partially self-governing states or regions under a central government. Examples include the United States or Russia.
The “ideal” structure often depends on the values one prioritizes, such as freedom, equality, efficiency, or stability. For some, an ideal government ensures maximum freedoms, while for others, it guarantees social welfare and equity. In reality, many governments incorporate elements from multiple systems to create a structure that fits their unique needs and values.
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THANK YOU Scott. That was very insightful/helpful.
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