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OpenAI Tells Codex to Avoid Goblins and Gremlins

ai-technology · 2026-04-29

OpenAI has instructed its coding agent Codex to avoid mentioning goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals and creatures unless absolutely necessary. The directive appears in the agent's system instructions, as reported by Wired. This restriction aims to prevent the AI from generating irrelevant or fantastical content during code generation tasks. The move highlights ongoing efforts to refine AI behavior and limit outputs to strictly professional contexts.

Key facts

  • OpenAI issued instructions for Codex to avoid goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, and other creatures.
  • The instruction states these topics should only be discussed if unambiguously relevant.
  • The directive is part of Codex's coding agent instructions.
  • The report was published by Wired.
  • The restriction aims to keep AI outputs focused on coding tasks.

Entities

Institutions

  • OpenAI
  • Wired

Sources