A GitHub repository compiling system prompts from prominent large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini has rapidly accumulated over 8,200 stars, drawing significant attention from the artificial intelligence community. The repository, titled asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks, was highlighted in a recent tweet by Rohan Paul, who noted its substantial popularity. This collection offers a rare glimpse into the underlying instructions that guide the behavior of leading AI chatbots.
System prompts are crucial, pre-defined instructions embedded within AI models by developers to shape their responses and ensure they adhere to specific guidelines, tones, and functionalities. Unlike user prompts, which are direct queries from users, system prompts operate behind the scenes, dictating the AI's persona, ethical boundaries, and operational parameters. They play a pivotal role in ensuring that AI outputs are coherent, relevant, and aligned with intended outcomes, making them a cornerstone of effective prompt engineering.
The asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks repository, maintained by Asgeir Tjorve, provides a centralized location for these extracted instructions. Its popularity underscores a growing interest among developers and researchers in understanding the proprietary methodologies employed by major AI companies. This transparency can aid in reverse-engineering model behaviors, improving prompt design, and fostering innovation within the AI development landscape.
The availability of such collections raises discussions around AI transparency and the proprietary nature of prompt engineering. While some refer to these as "leaks," the repository positions itself as a "collection of system message instructions," offering valuable insights into how these advanced models are structured and controlled. For prompt engineers, this resource serves as an educational tool, revealing best practices and common patterns used in commercial AI systems. The repository's continued growth in popularity suggests its perceived value in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.