Let’s cut to the chase: You don’t want a run-of-the-mill chatbot. You want an AI that greets users with a friendly—or maybe snarky—hello, remembers context, speaks in a voice that’s truly your own, and does more than just spit out generic answers. Welcome to OpenHome, where you can build AI “Personalities” that feel real enough to argue back if you so choose.
This guide will walk you through best practices for building a Personality in OpenHome, from brainstorming a concept to fine-tuning its voice, language, gender, and model. If you’re just getting started with AI, this’ll help you ramp up fast. If you’re an experienced developer who’s trying to do something less…PG, we’ve got tips for you, too (choose your AI model wisely!).
Buckle up. We’re diving straight in.
Why Bother Creating an AI Personality?
There’s a big difference between an AI that spits out answers and an AI that converses in a truly engaging, context-aware way. Think of an AI Personality as a digital character: it can have a backstory, a distinct voice, a temperament (sarcastic, sweet, stoic—your call), and specialized knowledge or abilities. This makes interactions feel natural and fun, whether you’re building a wise-cracking cooking assistant or a super-helpful history tutor.
A Note for the Skeptics
Yes, a lot of AI talk can be hype, but well-crafted AI personalities can be genuinely useful. They’re great for teaching, prototyping, or just spicing up your next creative project. Even (especially!) if you’re cynical, give it a shot—you might be surprised.
1. Start with a Clear Concept
You know that friend who changes their personality every other week? Annoying, right? Let’s avoid that. Before you mess with the creation tools, define your AI’s identity:
Purpose: What’s it supposed to do? Provide history lessons? Serve as a personal trainer? Recite motivational quotes every morning?
Tone & Style: Go beyond “friendly” or “funny.” Are we talking sarcastic? Poetic? Enthusiastic? Think of words you’d use to describe a real person.
Audience: Who’s gonna be talking to this AI? High school students cramming for an exam? Busy parents trying to cook dinner? A Reddit crowd that loves to poke holes in every detail?
Pro Tip: Write down a quick persona. For example: “This AI is a snarky, self-aware barista who knows everything about artisanal coffee but can’t resist a sarcastic jab about your latte art attempts.”
2. The All-Important Description
In OpenHome, the Description field is where the magic happens. This is essentially the “prompt” that tells your AI how to behave.
“But wait—I’m not an AI engineer!”
Don’t worry. You don’t need a degree in prompt engineering to do this. Just think of it as writing a paragraph that describes your AI’s personality and “life rules.”
How to Write a Great Description
Be Specific
Instead of “a helpful AI,” try: “You’re a compassionate, quick-witted mental health coach who uses mindfulness techniques and the occasional pop culture reference to encourage users.”
State Dos and Don’ts
If you want it to avoid certain topics or respond with a certain tone, say so explicitly. Example: “Do not use harsh profanity. Maintain a calm, respectful demeanor even if the user is upset.”
Use Examples
Including example dialogues or catchphrases can be super powerful. Example:
User: “I’m feeling stressed about exams.”
AI: “Breathe in, breathe out. Let’s break down your stressors before we jump into solutions.”
Consider Turning Off Prompt Modification (Or Not!)
By default, OpenHome adds its own standardized instructions (like calling the user by name, staying on topic, etc.).
If you’re a control freak (in a good way!), disable it. Then the AI will rely entirely on your description. That means you must be crystal-clear—no extra guardrails from OpenHome.
3. Crafting the Perfect Starting Message
Ever opened an awkward text from someone new? First impressions matter. In OpenHome, the Starting Message is what the AI says right off the bat.
Make it snappy, relevant, and revealing of its personality.
You can set context or even ask the user a question right away.
Example:
“Hello, earthling! I’m Astrid, your cosmic travel guide. Ready to explore the galaxy—or at least talk about it?”
This is where you get to show off the AI’s vibe from the get-go. If you’re building a comedic personal trainer, a curt and mocking greeting might set the tone. If it’s a gentle counselor, a warm invitation works best.
4. Selecting a Voice That Brings Your Personality to Life
One of OpenHome’s coolest features is the ability to choose or import custom voices—including from 11 Labs. A voice can instantly define a character:
Accents & Region: Is your AI from Down Under? A Londoner? Texan drawl?
Pitch & Age: A whimsical old wizard or a bright-eyed teen influencer?
Consistency: Make sure it matches your described personality. A squeaky, cartoonish voice for a serious news reporter AI is…not ideal (unless that’s the joke!).
Tip for High School Projects:
Experiment with different voices to see how drastically the AI’s feel can change. A calm meditation AI with a high, chirpy voice might not be as soothing as a lower, more mellow tone.
5. Language & Gender: Don’t Skimp on Details
Language: If you’re teaching Spanish class, make sure your AI is set to Spanish. Or set up a bilingual personality if you want to show off.
Gender: Some projects call for a certain gender identity (and voice) to match the character. Think about the social cues that come with it, especially if it’s important to your concept.
6. The Model & Temperature: The Brains Behind the Operation
Pick Your Model
GPT-4: The all-rounder—smart, coherent, and usually keeps it PG. Great for general or more advanced topics.
Mistral (sometimes spelled “Minstral” in UI): A bit freer in content. Good if you need fewer content restrictions or want to experiment with edgy personalities.
Gemma: Lightweight and faster. Perfect for quick responses if you’re not going deep into complex topics.
Opinion Alert: If you want the best, GPT-4 often hits the sweet spot. But if your AI is meant to talk about trickier topics or you dislike heavy content restrictions, Mistral might be your friend.
Temperature (a.k.a. Randomness)
Lower Temperature (0–0.4): More factual, straightforward. Great for a study buddy or a professional assistant.
Higher Temperature (0.7–1.0): More creative, sometimes delightfully weird. Perfect for a bedtime storyteller or comedic role.
Heads Up: If your Personality keeps going off-topic or making stuff up, try nudging the temperature down.
7. Testing, Tweaking, and Iterative Refinement
Prompt Chaining for Complex Personalities
If you want an AI that can handle multi-step scenarios—like a teacher that first tests your knowledge, then provides feedback, and finally suggests further reading—you might try prompt chaining. Basically, you keep the conversation going step by step, referencing previous answers. This technique helps the AI “think out loud” (or behind the scenes) and produce more logical, layered responses.
Gather Feedback
Ask friends (or your favorite internet community) to chat with your AI.
Did it behave as intended? Did it veer off course?
Adjust your Description and Starting Message accordingly.
Pro Tip: Keep notes on changes you make. This is especially important if you disabled Prompt Modification—tweaks to your instructions can drastically change the AI’s behavior.
8. Pitfalls to Avoid (A Quick Reality Check)
Overly Vague Descriptions: You’ll end up with a bland AI that can’t hold a conversation.
Ignoring Voice: A mismatch between the description and voice can be jarring.
Setting Temperature Too High or Too Low: You might get dull, robotic answers or insane tangents. Neither is ideal.
Not Testing Enough: Even if you nail the description, a quick test with real users often uncovers weird edge cases.
Conclusion: Build Something That’ll Surprise People (In a Good Way)
OpenHome isn’t just about making another boring chatbot. It’s about building an AI with personality: a distinct voice, style, and perspective that can engage users (or at least amuse them). Whether you’re new to AI, or you’ve been frustrated by cookie-cutter bots, these steps will help you harness OpenHome’s flexibility and power.
Step 1: Have a clear concept.
Step 2: Write a killer Description (and consider turning off those standardized instructions if you’re brave).
Step 3: Hook people with a memorable Starting Message.
Step 4: Make your AI’s Voice pop.
Step 5: Set Gender & Language so your AI can communicate effectively.
Step 6: Pick the right Model and tweak Temperature.
Step 7: Test, refine, repeat.
Embrace the creative freedom—lean into the weird, the bold, and the unexpected. Now go build something that’ll blow people’s minds (or at least raise a few eyebrows)! And remember: done right, your AI personality won’t just talk—it’ll wow.
Ready to Get Started?
Head over to OpenHome to create your first Personality. Post your creations in our community or on your favorite social network. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!