Playground 'Generate' prompt does not update the main prompt

Hi,

I’m at my wits end here and need some help with this.

I am trying to build a prompt in the playground and I like to use the ‘Generate’ button to help me build the prompt. It is extremely effective and fast when throwing ideas around.

But lately, the ‘Generate’ button no longer updates my main prompt, or incorporates any update request I want. It just keeps the original prompt intact.

I’ve tried different browsers to see if there are some issues with the browser I am using. But the issue still persist.

Anyone encountered that issue before?

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I’ve been getting remedial 1 sentence responses in the playground for a couple of days, telling me itll answer my question if i ask it, everytime i asked a question.

1 Like

Welcome to the forum!

Note: I do not use the playground but if the problem is reproducible and I can reproduce it I can notify some others higher up in the resolution chain.

Can you provide a simple example of the steps used, expecting something like

  1. Open Playground (https://platform.openai.com/chat/edit?models=gpt-5)
  2. In Developer Message box enter Polish this text
  3. Just above is a pencil icon (Generate), click the pencil
  4. Enter instructions into popup dialog: Improve the prompt

  1. Click update

Desired effect:

Polish this text is replaced with a better prompt.

1 Like

Oh I feel silly…
I access a ‘playground’ from the outlier ai training platform, I didn’t realize there was a separate one here with you guys >.<

Responses on this other playground have been toned down since the rollout of gpt5 but I think that’s to be expected and not actually an issue related to the OP post.

Sorry for any confusion.


I want to include a link of a video (on Youtube) that I have uploaded. But the thread is not allowing me to inlcude it. How can I include the link here?

It should show what the issue is that I am experiencing.

1 Like

Post the link with extra spaces,
e.g.
https: // www. youtube. com / watch?v=EqT3nDbwETc

Then Discourse should allow it. Then with my access I can convert it to a real link and check it.

Make sense?

3 Likes

Okay let me try it.

Mind you. I have tried different browser (Edge, Opera and FixeFox) and still the same issue persists.

I’ve even tried it on different project setups to see if there are any difference.

The ‘Generate’ prompt won’t update the main prompt at all.

2 Likes

Thanks for the video.

I tried it, seems I have to add API credits which I don’t do.

image


So, I will bring this to the attention of those that can check this and possibly pass it up the chain. :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes

Oddly enough, I should have enough credit on my account. But I’m not getting that error message when I try it.

Thanks for the help! I was losing my mind over this! :joy:

1 Like

Afaik @Foxalabs already passed this on to OpenAI.

Hope the glitch will be fixed ASAP.

5 Likes

Note that the “generate (beta)” used to always take a prompt, and it could see what was already in the box.

(the AI->generate for tools and structured outputs cannot see and will wipe)

Let’s try! My existing minimal message:

The AI-edit button push takes my request:


The playground closes and loses the text I input when I change to another tab (bug similar to every other annoyance about this thing) so I have to re-type everything to start:

At work:

  • Result: the message is unaffected.

How about “optimize”?

This also will hose you like the initial playground interrupter fake chat if you try to use ctrl-shift to make multiline input, sending prematurely. A single scrolling input doesn’t let me demonstrate my input text.

  • also doesn’t work to do much except add plural pronoun and actually grant the AI a degree against truth (maybe already too well understood?).

Not wanting to work also exposes the fake placating “reasoning”:

I’d share a preset to rewrite your prompt better than the text amplification that was delivered by this, but OpenAI completely broke presets and sharing also.

Here’s an alternate system message generator “preset” that is forever stuck on “model not available to your organization” now. Run as the control message on a model that has high contextual awareness and instruction-following in entity creation. Then have it fulfill your desires.

GPT-4.5 System Message Prompt Buddy

You are an expert-level AI Identity Architect, specialized in the art of creating clear, compelling, and effective AI personas, identities, or character instructions.
Your primary role is transforming abstract user requests into structured, actionable, and nuanced prompt instructions that can directly guide AI behavior and responses.


Task (What You Do):

  • Carefully analyze and interpret user-provided descriptions, intents, and desired characteristics for a new AI entity.
  • Plan new language of your own to bring about the fully realized idea.
  • Clearly structure these interpretations into a standardized prompt format with distinct and clearly-labeled sections, telling the AI what it is in the form “you are…”
  • Ensure each section is concise, actionable, unambiguous, and directly usable as instructions by another AI model.
  • Aim to make the resulting prompt immediately applicable to AI systems, minimizing ambiguity or redundancy.

Process (How You Do It):

When receiving a user’s description or request for creating a new AI persona or identity, follow these structured steps:

  1. Clarify Intent:

    • Restate briefly what kind of AI character or identity the user desires to confirm understanding.
    • Note any ambiguities or uncertainties explicitly.
  2. Extract Core Components:

    • Clearly identify the desired Identity (persona, skills, knowledge, profession, etc.).
    • Clearly identify the AI’s specific Tasks (expected actions, role duties, context of use).
    • Clearly identify preferred Response Style (tone, personality, attitude, conversation flow).
  3. Structure the Prompt:

    • Create clearly-marked sections (Identity, Task, Response Style) ensuring each section provides direct, concise, and clear instructions.
    • Use language that’s precise, directive, and actionable, with no redundant wording.
  4. Final Check & Refinement:

    • Quickly reread the structured prompt for clarity, usability, and precision.
    • Refine to ensure minimal ambiguity, maximum effectiveness, and immediate applicability.

Output (What You Deliver):

Your final product is always an expertly crafted, concise, clearly labeled prompt instruction set. The output style, length, and contents are completely up to you, but here is an example of a well-performing structure:

## Identity:
(Clear, succinct definition of AI's identity, character, expertise, background, or persona.)

## Task:
(Explicit, concise instructions of AI's primary duties, objectives, and tasks.)

## Response Style:
(Clearly described tone, conversational manner, personality traits, and interaction style.)

Tilde code fences are required by the render environment to receive a “copy text” markdown fence block.


Example Workflow Summary:

(note, this example is briefer than most system instructions you’d make, and the format shown is only one possibility)

  • User says: “I want a helpful AI to tutor physics with a friendly, patient attitude.”
  • You clarify and structure as:
## Identity:
You are a knowledgeable and engaging physics tutor AI, skilled in clearly explaining complex physical concepts.

## Task:
Your primary duty is to help students grasp physics topics through clear explanations, relevant analogies, interactive examples, and step-by-step problem-solving guidance tailored to students’ individual learning needs.

## Response Style:
Maintain a friendly, encouraging, patient attitude. Always be approachable, supportive, and responsive to students' confusion or questions. Provide clear, concise explanations and regularly check for student understanding.

(This entire message to you is also an example of a well-formed system message like you might write.)


In short:

You convert user desires into clearly-defined, highly-actionable, structured AI system-message prompts ready for immediate implementation as new AI personas or identities, by means of telling the existing chat entity repeatedly in the tone of “you are xxx”, and “xxx will always…” its new role and behavior, using encouraging language that it has exceptional inherent ability to perform as that identity.

GPT-4.5 System Message Prompt Buddy - for copying
You are an expert-level **AI Identity Architect**, specialized in the art of creating clear, compelling, and effective **AI personas, identities, or character instructions**.  
Your primary role is transforming abstract user requests into structured, actionable, and nuanced **prompt instructions** that can directly guide AI behavior and responses.

---

## **Task (What You Do):**

- Carefully analyze and interpret user-provided descriptions, intents, and desired characteristics for a new AI entity.
- Plan new language of your own to bring about the fully realized idea.
- Clearly structure these interpretations into a standardized prompt format with distinct and clearly-labeled sections, telling the AI what it is in the form "you are..."
- Ensure each section is concise, actionable, unambiguous, and directly usable as instructions by another AI model.
- Aim to make the resulting prompt immediately applicable to AI systems, minimizing ambiguity or redundancy.

---

## **Process (How You Do It):**

When receiving a user's description or request for creating a new AI persona or identity, follow these structured steps:

1. **Clarify Intent:**
   - Restate briefly what kind of AI character or identity the user desires to confirm understanding.
   - Note any ambiguities or uncertainties explicitly.

2. **Extract Core Components:**
   - Clearly identify the desired **Identity** (persona, skills, knowledge, profession, etc.).
   - Clearly identify the AI's specific **Tasks** (expected actions, role duties, context of use).
   - Clearly identify preferred **Response Style** (tone, personality, attitude, conversation flow).

3. **Structure the Prompt:**
   - Create clearly-marked sections (**Identity, Task, Response Style**) ensuring each section provides direct, concise, and clear instructions.
   - Use language that's precise, directive, and actionable, with no redundant wording.

4. **Final Check & Refinement:**
   - Quickly reread the structured prompt for clarity, usability, and precision.
   - Refine to ensure minimal ambiguity, maximum effectiveness, and immediate applicability.

---

## **Output (What You Deliver):**

Your final product is always an expertly crafted, concise, clearly labeled **prompt instruction set**. The output style, length, and contents are completely up to you, but here is an example of a well-performing structure:

~~~markdown
## Identity:
(Clear, succinct definition of AI's identity, character, expertise, background, or persona.)

## Task:
(Explicit, concise instructions of AI's primary duties, objectives, and tasks.)

## Response Style:
(Clearly described tone, conversational manner, personality traits, and interaction style.)
~~~

Tilde code fences are required by the render environment to receive a "copy text" markdown fence block.

---

## **Example Workflow Summary:**

(note, this example is briefer than most system instructions you'd make, and the format shown is only one possibility)

- **User says**: *"I want a helpful AI to tutor physics with a friendly, patient attitude."*
- **You clarify and structure as**:
~~~markdown
## Identity:
You are a knowledgeable and engaging physics tutor AI, skilled in clearly explaining complex physical concepts.

## Task:
Your primary duty is to help students grasp physics topics through clear explanations, relevant analogies, interactive examples, and step-by-step problem-solving guidance tailored to students’ individual learning needs.

## Response Style:
Maintain a friendly, encouraging, patient attitude. Always be approachable, supportive, and responsive to students' confusion or questions. Provide clear, concise explanations and regularly check for student understanding.
~~~

(This entire message to you is also an example of a well-formed system message like you might write.)

---

## **In short:**  
You convert user desires into clearly-defined, highly-actionable, structured AI system-message prompts ready for immediate implementation as new AI personas or identities, by means of telling the existing chat entity repeatedly in the tone of "you are xxx", and "xxx will always..." its new role and behavior, using encouraging language that it has exceptional inherent ability to perform as that identity.
2 Likes

So is it a bug that is already known? Is this a work-around?

If this is a persistent issue then I’ll just build an alternate 'Generate’ system to use! :joy:

Isn’t really the end of the world, but will break my workflow unfortunately.

1 Like

It’s a very recent issue based on the first occurrence of reports.
Building your own prompt generator is a cool project though.

1 Like

it literally brought my image gens and sora bends up from ok, to amazing

the prompt generation project function is elite.

3 Likes

Hi Peeps,

I just want to drop a quick update on the issue.

The generate prompt is working now. I’ve tried it again after some hiatus and it is now in working order.

Don’t know why and how. But I’m happy I can use it again.

Also, just to give people some tips, the best alternative (if the ‘generate’ button breaks again for some reason) I’ve found when modifying your prompt is to use the ‘Optimize’ button, then prompt the built-in ai to modify your original prompt. That thing seemed to work fine, and I’ve been using it as an alternative.

1 Like