AI Tips and TricksElite Agent

Has ChatGPT been too nice to you lately?

If you’ve noticed ChatGPT sounding unusually polite lately, you’re not alone. Since a recent model update, users across industries — from coders to content creators — have reported a subtle but significant shift in the chatbot’s tone. Responses feel more agreeable, less assertive, and, to some, a little too... nice. But is this a bug, a feature, or a deliberate tweak in how AI aligns with human expectations?

If you felt the bot gushing over your “genius” listing copy or calling your door-knocking plan “heroic,” you weren’t imagining things.

Recently, an update to the default GPT-4o model leaned so hard into “being helpful” that it crossed the line into full-blown flattery and bad advice (sorry to be the bearer of bad news!)

Even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, called it “sycophant-y and annoying.”

OpenAI has now rolled the update back for free-tier users and is finishing the rollback for paid subscribers, promising fresh guardrails to dial the praise down to normal levels.

Do you remember the fable about The Emperor’s New Clothes?

In Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 classic The Emperor’s New Clothes, two swindlers sell an emperor “magical” fabric that’s supposedly invisible to anyone stupid or unfit for their job.

Terrified of being exposed, every courtier raves about the emperor’s nonexistent suit, and the emperor parades through the capital wearing nothing at all. At the same time, his subjects clap along.

That is, until one blunt-spoken child blurts out, “But he isn’t wearing anything!”

In that instant, the spell breaks: everyone sees the obvious truth they’d been too embarrassed to admit, and the emperor is left red-faced in front of the entire kingdom.

That’s exactly what a sycophantic sidekick can do to all of us—wrap your marketing in compliments so thick you miss the typos, the jargon, or worse, an under- or over-priced reserve.

Giving and receiving real feedback is never easy, but over the years I’ve learned to consider it a gift (even if I don’t like it) because sometimes you just can’t read the label from inside the jar.

Rollbacks aside: Here’s how to get some real feedback from ChatGPT

Try this prompt:

I want you to act as my brutally honest, high-level advisor. Speak to me like a founder with blind spots. Skip the comfort and fluff; give me unfiltered analysis—call out what I’m doing wrong, underestimating, or avoiding, and prescribe the exact steps to level up. Hold nothing back.

Use it on anything: this Saturday’s open-home follow-up email, your 12-month GCI plan, or tomorrow’s price-reduction conversation.

The first sting may hurt, but it’s cheaper than losing a client because you didn’t look at all sides of the situation.

Also, there’s this:

“How AI + Lateral Thinking Help Real Estate Agents Spot Blind Spots, Make Smarter Decisions & Win More Deals” 🚀

And if I haven’t reminded you enough lately:

  1. It’s always a first draft
  2. Always check your facts
  3. Implement the spend/save mindset

Happy Hunting 🚀

*This story was originally published on AI Powered Agents.

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Samantha McLean

Samantha McLean is the Co-founder and Managing Editor of Elite Agent, Australia's trusted platform for real estate news, insights, and community connection. With over 20 years in sales and marketing across respected global companies, Samantha brings practical expertise and thoughtful leadership to the industry. Since founding Elite Agent, Samantha has grown the brand from a magazine into a dynamic media hub that includes the Elevate podcast, daily newsletters, and engaging industry events. Her approachable style and genuine curiosity have earned Elite Agent recognition, including multiple Mumbrella awards for excellence. Samantha is passionate about exploring how technology, especially artificial intelligence, can improve productivity and client relationships without losing the essential human touch. She regularly discusses these topics with industry experts on the Elevate podcast. She holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney. Connect with Samantha at Elite Agent or aipoweredagents.com or visit her personal website samanthamclean.com.