OpenAI explains why ChatGPT suddenly loved goblins

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is currently embroiled in some courtroom drama, but the engineers back at the OpenAI lab just solved a minor drama (really a comedy) with ChatGPT.

OpenAI published a lengthy, detailed report on its website about goblins. No, really. Since the release of GPT 5.1, ChatGPT models have developed a weird fixation on goblins and gremlins, regularly bringing up both in contexts where it doesn't make sense. Users took note of this and OpenAI noticed it, too, prompting an investigation.