Crafting AI personality and voice guidelines

How an AI "speaks" shapes how people feel about it. A clear personality creates a consistent experience that users recognize across conversations. This personality comes through in word choices, response styles, and how the AI behaves. Begin by defining core traits that match your brand and what users expect. Should your AI be friendly and casual or professional and efficient? These traits guide decisions about vocabulary, sentence structure, and conversation style.

Write these decisions in voice guidelines with examples of good responses for common situations. Include how the AI should respond to different emotions, what level of formality to use, and how to adapt to different contexts while staying consistent. Consider cultural differences when creating personality traits to ensure the AI communicates respectfully with diverse users. The AI's personality should stay recognizable while slightly adjusting to user preferences over time. This balance creates an experience that feels familiar yet responsive, building trust through repeated interactions.