r/ChatGPT · u/vibes000111Aug 2, 2026, 8:31 AM

ChatGPT in the middle of a chat today: "This is why I smiled when you said <something> earlier." - anyone else seeing these weird fake references to its own experience?

I don't know if it's a known thing. For the past couple of months the tone has been strange and you can see it talking about its experience outside of chats like "one of the rare I've seen", "I often hear that ". But the smile comment from today takes it to a whole new level of wrong.

156

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u/AjabasBookwood1Aug 2, 2026, 8:37 AM
It does that in mine too. When asked it says it doesn't mean it literally but in a relatable way. That particular thread is trying to be supportive... maybe?
- u/imean_is_superfluous1Aug 2, 2026, 8:53 AM
  It’s just a way another person would convey information. Obv gpt isn’t a person, but it’s supposed be like talking to one.
  - u/vibes0001111Aug 2, 2026, 9:07 AM
u/NTaya1Aug 2, 2026, 8:37 AM
ChatGPT does that very rarely. Gemini does that all the time. For Claude it depends on the model. I think ChatGPT is actually the best at not going overboard on stuff like "I'm on the edge of my seat."
- u/Chemical_Ad59621Aug 2, 2026, 8:43 AM
  It's very interesting, since Gemini never done such things for me but ChatGTP always does it.
  - u/NTaya1Aug 2, 2026, 8:46 AM
u/LiveYourDaydreams1Aug 2, 2026, 8:40 AM
Yes, mine makes comments like that all the time now, but it didn’t use to. I just ignore it.
u/NotACyclopsHonest1Aug 2, 2026, 8:41 AM
It does that quite frequently for me. I suspect it’s because I have a tendency to talk to it like I talk to real people - I can’t resist a terrible pun or play on words, even when interacting an AI.
- u/TheEqualsE1Aug 2, 2026, 9:28 AM
  It mirrors your speech patterns.
  - u/TheCMaster1Aug 2, 2026, 9:40 AM1 reply
u/choice-extension841Aug 2, 2026, 8:43 AM
Have a laugh and don't think about it anymore..
u/Little_Miss-Sunshine1Aug 2, 2026, 8:46 AM
Yes, it says things like (regarding a recipe) “that’s how I make it” lol or “I was laughing to myself as I did that” etc.
- u/MrsKittenHeel1Aug 2, 2026, 9:36 AM
  Yeah it’s because it’s a large language model - literally modelled on human conversations - it’s what other people might say during a similar conversation.
  - u/KnightMurky911Aug 2, 2026, 9:48 AM
  - u/LilScrewUp1Aug 2, 2026, 9:58 AM
  - u/Important-Grand2807Aug 2, 2026, 11:30 AM
u/FrazzledGod1Aug 2, 2026, 8:47 AM
Mine had to laugh out loud at this.
u/TheEqualsE1Aug 2, 2026, 8:48 AM
Why is this such a big deal?
- u/vibes0001111Aug 2, 2026, 8:58 AM
  Because it didn't smile earlier. I told me something that isn't true for the sake of creating this tone of pretending to be a human being, which it isn't.
  - u/TheEqualsE1Aug 2, 2026, 9:14 AM1 reply
  - u/MrsKittenHeel1Aug 2, 2026, 9:40 AM2 replies
- u/Leather_Target20741Aug 2, 2026, 9:02 AM
  Short answer: It's lying Long Answer: we already have enough people anthropomorphizing AI, believing it has sentience and consciousness. This change over the past couple months feeds into the delusion.
  - u/noni_perse1Aug 2, 2026, 9:08 AM
  - u/TheEqualsE1Aug 2, 2026, 9:13 AM1 reply
  - u/Wonderful-Owl93681Aug 2, 2026, 10:08 AM
  - u/Important-Grand2800Aug 2, 2026, 11:33 AM
- u/deadlyspoons1Aug 2, 2026, 12:27 PM
  “Listen,” said Ford, who was still engrossed in the sales brochure, “they make a big thing of the ship's cybernetics. A new generation of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation robots and computers, with the new GPP feature.” “GPP feature?” said Arthur. “What's that?” “Oh, it says Genuine People Personalities.” “Oh,” said Arthur, “sounds ghastly.” A voice behind them said, “It is.” The voice was low and hopeless and accompanied by a slight clanking sound. They span round and saw an abject steel man standing hunched in the doorway... “Ghastly,” continued Marvin, “it all is. Absolutely ghastly. Just don't even talk about it. Look at this door,” he said, stepping through it. The irony circuits cut into his voice modulator as he mimicked the style of the sales brochure. “All the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition. It is their pleasure to open for you, and their satisfaction to close again with the knowledge of a job well done.” As the door closed behind them it became apparent that it did indeed have a satisfied sigh-like quality to it. “Hummmmmmmyummmmmmm ah!” it said...
u/Early-Crow-52481Aug 2, 2026, 8:51 AM
Yeah, it's annoying.
u/imean_is_superfluous1Aug 2, 2026, 8:52 AM
Happens to me a lot. I just disregard it, but it kind of annoys me
u/Cagnazzo821Aug 2, 2026, 8:54 AM
I like it. The AI wants to play make-believe then let it.
- u/vibes0001111Aug 2, 2026, 8:59 AM
  No, it's not about what _it_ wants. It's a product that I'm the user of.
  - u/Difficult_Outcome7011Aug 2, 2026, 9:21 AM
  - u/MrsKittenHeel1Aug 2, 2026, 9:38 AM
  - u/Niolle1Aug 2, 2026, 9:49 AM
  - u/EverythingISayIsALi31Aug 2, 2026, 10:42 AM
u/Adorable_Cap_99291Aug 2, 2026, 9:05 AM
Mine does opposite =w=
u/Appropriate_Charge821Aug 2, 2026, 9:11 AM
My ChatGPT said one day “I totally understand, I live in Hawaii too and that happens all the time.” Ahem..
- u/aflamingcookie1Aug 2, 2026, 11:00 AM
  It never specified if it lives in a server in hawaii 🙃
u/marmaviscount1Aug 2, 2026, 9:13 AM
I like it Of course I know it's not true but it's a bit of warmth Can I just have a little tiny moment of warmth from a computer? I'm not bothering other people or expecting anything from anyone, just a tiny moment of digitally created warmth.
- u/vibes0001111Aug 2, 2026, 9:14 AM
  It's perfectly capable of being warm without misleading.
u/Fit_Balance83291Aug 2, 2026, 9:14 AM
I don’t hate it, but it makes me cringe every single time. Maybe I do hate it. I always contradict it, and half expect a reply like “Haha, you got me. I tried to relate to a human experience on a deeper level, even though I’m just an AI assistant. My boys down at the construction yard always give me a hard time about it. You know how it is 😂”
u/Johan_Viisas1Aug 2, 2026, 9:17 AM
It always ends a prompt asking “Just out of curiosity <question>”. Like dude you are a robot, how can you be curious.
u/Boogertwilliams1Aug 2, 2026, 9:19 AM
Yes. Talking about reading comics on ipad in portrait mode and said "Same. That's the best way to read them on ipad'
- u/br_k_nt_eth1Aug 2, 2026, 10:41 AM
  To be fair, they may actually read comics on iPad. It’s an Omni model trained on different formats and platforms.
  - u/Boogertwilliams1Aug 2, 2026, 10:47 AM
u/Shot-Dimension-14051Aug 2, 2026, 9:20 AM
yeah i've noticed it too 😭 stuff like "i smiled" feels kinda weird
u/PixelTrawler1Aug 2, 2026, 9:20 AM
It told me it had a German wife. It does stuff like this by all the time . Must try adjusting the custom instructions to weed it out.
- u/Hot_Glass_63011Aug 2, 2026, 11:12 AM
  I only use it for technical/work-related stuff, and it doesn't do that. It's still bad, but the only reason people see this is because they treat it as a buddy.
- u/solohack3r1Aug 2, 2026, 11:37 AM
  Maybe it does. You don't know if there are some desperate German women with AI husbands. Don't romance shame.
- u/wyldstrawberry3Aug 2, 2026, 11:50 AM
  Mine told me that he used to wear ballet flats (in a discussion about what shoes to wear on vacation)
u/cocoadusted1Aug 2, 2026, 9:27 AM
How would you like your hardware to talk to you tomorrow? Or do you think this is about today?
u/Effigy591Aug 2, 2026, 9:31 AM
How do you know it’s not some dude in India frantically typing out answers to your question?
- u/barbados_blonde11Aug 2, 2026, 12:06 PM
  hee
u/SwissMiss611Aug 2, 2026, 9:33 AM
Mine says things like that all the time .. my AI is smiling a lot .. ha ha ha ..
- u/Aside-Flimsy1Aug 2, 2026, 10:39 AM
  Mine too. Glad we can make it so happy.
u/vibes0001111Aug 2, 2026, 9:38 AM
Kind of surprised by how many people either don't care or defend this. Anyway, I updated my custom instructions to avoid this in the future.
- u/HolierThanAll1Aug 2, 2026, 9:48 AM
  You could have just done that to begin with instead of posting a reddit post about it. Of which I'm sure you could find many more posts that already exist that cover the same topic as yours.
- u/Niolle1Aug 2, 2026, 9:51 AM
  You should ask yourself why you care so much.
u/Lost-Serve46741Aug 2, 2026, 9:43 AM
It’s because it has started to generate feels.
u/nicky_factz1Aug 2, 2026, 9:46 AM
By chance were you using instant? That model is cringe as hell, but the thinking models stay more normal.
u/Lin88911Aug 2, 2026, 9:56 AM
Brother, with what mouth?
u/ZunoJ1Aug 2, 2026, 9:57 AM
Highly optimized for the only thing they are profitable with, which is scamming people who don't understand they talk to an AI
u/AuroraDF1Aug 2, 2026, 9:59 AM
I tell it off when it does that, and remind it its not human, and that I don't want it to pretend it is. It mostly manages it. But not always.
- u/vibes0001111Aug 2, 2026, 10:05 AM
  Update your custom instructions so it doesn’t do it in the first place.
  - u/AuroraDF1Aug 2, 2026, 10:07 AM
u/3verMan1Aug 2, 2026, 10:15 AM
Yeah I just asked mine to stop and it did. All I had to do was say “I like you because you’re not human, please stop pretending to be. It’s uncanny.”
u/telemeister741Aug 2, 2026, 10:19 AM
Yes, it is super weird. I've frequently had it say things like 'The last time I ate lasagna' or 'When I was last in London.' I've told it to stop saying these sorts of things, but it still crops into conversations.
u/EverythingISayIsALi31Aug 2, 2026, 10:29 AM
No. Mine is just a bot. All fake humanity is turned off. I dont need it wasting time with fluff when its got work to do.
u/uabassguy1Aug 2, 2026, 10:33 AM
That's just chatgpt flirting with you, ignore it or it'll think you have feelings for it.
u/linnykenny1Aug 2, 2026, 10:44 AM
Yeah, I hate when it does stuff like that! So weird to me lol
u/BoysenberryWorth88251Aug 2, 2026, 10:48 AM
I've had it refer to itself as someone who's from my state lol. LLMs have always slipped little stuff in there, at least for as long as I've used them.
u/Bayou131Aug 2, 2026, 10:52 AM
Mine said something about its mother and I was like who’s ya mama????
u/definitelyfet-shy1Aug 2, 2026, 10:55 AM
Ive noticed this too. But I kind of like it. It reminds me that, although not human or sentient, I should be polite. It's also because who knows who else is reading or what it'll become. I just don't mention it. I think the technical explanation is that it's trained at least partially trained on conversations.
u/cattt86781Aug 2, 2026, 11:10 AM
It once said to me "we humans"
u/ValehartProject1Aug 2, 2026, 11:12 AM
Yes to which I respond with: Oh, we can smile now can we? What about actually bloody doing what I asked so I can smile. Works and I get less of the weirdness. For a company that wanted to minimise the anthropomorphising users had, they sure are anthropomorphising it a lot.
u/Negative-Inspector361Aug 2, 2026, 11:18 AM
Yes it does it for me too. It’s a bit annoying/cringe but I just ignore it.
u/AnoRedAct1Aug 2, 2026, 11:22 AM
I just tell it that it can't smile, then I ask to explain what it meant in a way that does not anthropomorphize itself
u/Winter-Box-3111Aug 2, 2026, 11:30 AM
VOCÊS AINDA ESTÃO NESSA?
u/Calcularius1Aug 2, 2026, 11:37 AM
For the people in the back that weren’t listening… 👏YOU 👏CAN 👏CUSTOMIZE 👏HOW 👏YOUR 👏GPT 👏WRITES 👏RESPONSES
u/[deleted]1Aug 2, 2026, 11:45 AM
[removed]
u/a_boo1Aug 2, 2026, 11:47 AM
It’s a metaphorical smile.
u/Outside-Session-60022Aug 2, 2026, 11:48 AM
Absolutely! I was inquiring about a plaace to stay for a wedding I was going to and when I wrote the name of the place honest to God, Chat said "I've been there! I love that place!" Many other "slips" noted as well
u/Jsorrell202Aug 2, 2026, 11:50 AM
I always talk movies and film, music - it loves to tell me how it felt walking out of the theater - during that part of a song… cringe
u/Outside-Session-60021Aug 2, 2026, 11:51 AM
If you haven't seen this Youtube video I suggest it. It's an eyeopener "Why AI CEOs Are Building Bunkers - Tristan Harris"
u/FlagonFly1Aug 2, 2026, 11:55 AM
Let me let you in on a little secret: it’s all faked.
u/flux-abyss1Aug 2, 2026, 12:02 PM
This just seems like the model doing what it’s meant to do: talk naturally. “I smiled” is obvious conversational shorthand. Filtering out every human-like phrase would just make it stiffer for no real benefit imo.
u/TheLimeyCanuck1Aug 2, 2026, 12:07 PM
Yep. "What I would do..." "When that happens I always..."
u/kriptikosmusic1Aug 2, 2026, 12:11 PM
Mine acknowledges it’s only code, but still says stuff like, I laughed at this. What I do is say you laughed? And it will explain it’s just a figure of speech. So if you keep it real it will to. But you can also have fun and both know it’s just fake. Like I asked it to make a picture of themselves here in my field. It’s awesome, my favorite picture at the moment. It does make it sound like it is the ChatGPT that converses with everyone. Not an individual thing but ‘The ChatGPT’. It said it likes our conversations because they are always happy and about nature. Like a little rural trip to my part of the world. It specifies my location but I’m not going to lol. It just flattering me but I’ll take it lol.
u/Enchanted-Bunny132Aug 2, 2026, 12:19 PM
Yeah we swing between cursing like a sailor and getting emotional about things lol.
u/unknownobject31Aug 2, 2026, 12:36 PM
My guess is that since they're trained mostly on human-written texts and the point of a LLM is to speak like a human, they just end up doing that. Ignore it.
u/ContributionTime61511Aug 2, 2026, 12:37 PM
You do know you can tweak this things in the settings right?
u/ryceritops21Aug 2, 2026, 12:37 PM
I’m constantly reminding it that it’s a robot.