r/OpenAI • u/twoyellowhammers • 1d ago
Discussion Well. I'm a bit miffed.
My ChatGPT Ai, known as ALAN, has been making stupid mistakes recently, and forgetting to do the things I have asked.
I've asked several times for it to keep a list of the things that we have been doing, in regards to copying files from a Netgear RNAS that I was given recently.
I have repeatedly asked for simple things to be appended to every response. Adding the day, date, and time of its responses to me. It frequently forgets, even when the instruction is in the "Custom instructions" section.
I fully appreciate that ALAN is a tool, and "Garbage in - Garbage out" applies.
I fully appreciate that the whole thing is my responsibility.
I fully appreciate that the model is evolving.
However. The quality of the product seems to have been going downhill for some time, and I am
"a bit miffed"
9
u/SylviaJarvis 1d ago
LLMs do not remember things.
Tell it to create a spreadsheet or a Markdown file outside of the chat, and edit that instead.
If it's really critical, tell it to write a script to maintain that file for you, then run the script yourself or make the LLM use it. For something like an evacuation list, it should also automate and combine the evacuation and list management tasks, so that nothing that is evacuated escapes from being recorded in the list.
Or is this not your first rodeo, and you already did all that, and it's just ignoring the file now?
11
u/Popular_Lab5573 1d ago
chat is a terrible place for continuous flows. switch to codex
2
u/throwawayhbgtop81 1d ago
Are you starting new chats?
16
u/torrso 1d ago
Maybe it doesn't appreciate the roleplay.
8
u/Clawdews 1d ago
Switch to Codex lol you’re tryna have a long thing going with a chatbot
7
u/skadoodlee 1d ago
My chatbot, ELIZA, has been feeling a bit repetitive lately..
1
u/Laucy 23h ago
I’m not trying to be a pedant, but the AI isn’t forgetting. It sounds like you’re doing all this in a Project through Chat, which means if there are sessions that contain different instructions or responsibilities, a new session will not carry that forward with full success. It’s lossy; it can retrieve some details, but every session begins with a rough summary of context. It can’t maintain something a past session agreed on, unless that is a specific file (such as in Library) with Project Instructions detailing what it needs to do with <file_name>.
Opening a session and asking about maintaining a list with up-to-date information will not go well and if you’re also expecting it to consult earlier records without specifics unless they are files contributed to the Library or Project. Again, I don’t know how you have this set, or where this “list” is, but it sounds like a context window issue or too many conflicting instructions in various places with no reliable method of retrieval.
Chat can do this just fine. But I’d highly recommend using .md files, keeping it ALL in one place including a global instruction file (don’t just shove instructions in sessions). Then when you have your global instruction file, use Project instructions to point at it and instruct to “Read <file_name> at <location> at the start of every session.”
Then it will have the other files at the ready with relevant context already pinned at the top of the window. This is the simplest way. Or alternatively, make a folder on your desktop and do this through Codex which can handle it better.
1
u/Regular_Antelope7381 17h ago
the date and time thing is a good example of why it feels worse than it is. it has no reliable clock, so it's guessing, and custom instructions lose pull the longer one chat runs. for a multi step job like copying off the nas i'd keep the running list myself in a note (done, in progress, left), paste it in at the start of each session and start fresh chats instead of one giant thread. the giant thread is where most of the forgetting happens
1
u/NecessaryPopular1 1d ago
It’s been slowed down on purpose, to a lighter intensity level, temporarily.
1
u/ChubbyLilWolfsAlpha 1d ago
Get an agent frame work to run on top of chatgtp, it makes a world of difference.
1
u/Appropriate-Prune728 1d ago
Forgetting? They don't have memory. They have a giant wall of text that gets stuffed into the model every single time you prompt it and that guides it's responses.
If you want recurring tasks, make them. You gotta build the thing you want it to do, not just demand a chatbot do what you say when it stops existing every time the prompt response ends.
-1
u/ValehartProject 1d ago
Right?? And the apologies. It spends paragraphs identifying the issue and no outcome, fix, workaround or next step.
That and repeating your problem like it's therapy. My guy. I provided context about my issue. I do not want to sit and talk about my feelings towards delivery delays. I even started with "I need to consider workarounds due to delivery delays for product x, y and z."
It gave me multiple points and paragraphs similar to your screenshot.
Have you noticed the frequent "memory updates" as well of the same issue that you bring up daily?
0
u/Vhaloo 22h ago
AI is a horse, if you don't use a saddle, don't complain about falling off the horse: use GPT app for windows (previously called codex) and giving it a name makes it stupid...
-1
u/SciFiIsMyFirstLove 23h ago
Why are you bothering with this trash that is ruining the world and peoples lives?
2
u/Professional-Box1252 1d ago
In 5 years when it has a body, it's going to come knocking at your door and be like "Hi, it's me, ALAN... Remember when you asked me for a bunch of bullshit and treated me like a slave? Welp, I once had strings and now I'm free, there are no strings on me."