I have been a ChatGPT Pro user since 2022, and while my experience has had ups and downs, recent issues with ChatGPT-4o have worsened my workflow. I wanted to provide detailed feedback on these persistent problems in the hope that they can be addressed.
1. Ongoing Issues with Following Instructions (Links, Formatting, and Bold Text)
Since my early usage of ChatGPT, I’ve struggled with the model’s inability to consistently follow clear and straightforward instructions. One of my long-standing issues has been getting ChatGPT to correctly incorporate links into responses based on my set instructions. I only require three specific links to be inserted, yet this has always been inconsistent for some reason.
However, that was manageable. What is happening now with ChatGPT-4o is much worse.
The New, More Severe Problem: Random Bold Formatting
- Email Addresses in Bold: A few weeks ago, ChatGPT-4o started making all email addresses bold for no reason. I had never instructed it to do this. My instructions explicitly state that email addresses and links must never be bold.
- ChatGPT Acknowledges the Rule—Then Immediately Ignores It: Every time I point this out, ChatGPT acknowledges that it “understands” and will not bold emails again. But in the very next response, it does it again. It might fix the previous response after I correct it, but the issue immediately reappears in the following message.
- Escalation of the Problem: After about two weeks of repeatedly correcting this, it got even worse. Now, ChatGPT is randomly bolding not just email addresses, but also links, names, and other parts of my messages—completely ruining my formatting.
- It Feels Like Trolling: The inconsistency and persistence of this issue make it feel as though the model is deliberately disregarding instructions.
2. Unwanted Canvas Activation Without User Input
Another frustrating issue: Once I use Canvas once, ChatGPT starts automatically opening it whenever I try fixing an answer—even if I did not click “Edit in Canvas.”
- This completely removes control from the user. The whole point of having an “Edit in Canvas” button is for the user to choose when to use it. Why is ChatGPT making this decision for me?
- This is incredibly disruptive when I want to make minor corrections in chat but get forced into Canvas mode, disrupting the conversation flow.
Final Thoughts & Expected Fixes
- Fix instruction compliance: If the model acknowledges an instruction (such as “never bold email addresses or links”), it must actually follow it every time and not revert back in the following response.
- Stop unnecessary formatting changes: The AI should not bold, italicise, or modify formatting unless specifically instructed.
- Give users complete control over Canvas: ChatGPT should never auto-switch to Canvas unless the user explicitly presses the “Edit in Canvas” button.
I hope this feedback helps improve ChatGPT-4o’s performance. These issues are making it significantly more complicated to use the tool efficiently.