← Glossary Term
Model Spec
OpenAI's public document describing how its AI models are supposed to behave.
The Model Spec is a written rulebook from OpenAI that explains what its models should do, what they should refuse, and how they should weigh competing goals such as being helpful and avoiding harm. It is public, so anyone can read it and quote it back.
A rulebook is only as good as the behaviour behind it. The spec states intentions, and independent testing is what shows whether models actually follow them, which is why updates to it are watched closely.
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