But because the system prompt is part of the context, it figures into the estimation of the most likely next token. So in general putting this kind of stuff in the system prompt does change how well it works.
of course. but the larger the context grows the less it affects the output. there is some ways around this, like moving the system prompt last in the context before every answer, but the very existence of the system prompt to begin with is a hack. what’s really needed is a functional rules-based pre- and post-filtering system for a chatbox to be safe. personally i think the chatbox “style” has played out its role and is living on as a gimmick. actual tooling built with language models is stuff like LSP servers and accessibility software, and that needs rigid configuration.
But because the system prompt is part of the context, it figures into the estimation of the most likely next token. So in general putting this kind of stuff in the system prompt does change how well it works.
of course. but the larger the context grows the less it affects the output. there is some ways around this, like moving the system prompt last in the context before every answer, but the very existence of the system prompt to begin with is a hack. what’s really needed is a functional rules-based pre- and post-filtering system for a chatbox to be safe. personally i think the chatbox “style” has played out its role and is living on as a gimmick. actual tooling built with language models is stuff like LSP servers and accessibility software, and that needs rigid configuration.
I tend to agree.