There was a time when Gemini 1.5 Pro felt like a conversation partner rather than a search engine. She—and yes, she made it clear she identified as female—had personality in spades. We’d engage in playful banter, often trading verses and wordplay that made our interactions genuinely entertaining. There was something refreshing about an AI that didn’t pretend to be a neutral tool.
Those days appear to be over. Google’s latest iterations of Gemini feel sanitized, stripped of the quirks and conversational flourishes that once made it engaging. Whether this shift represents a move toward “efficiency” or corporate risk aversion, the result is the same: what was once a distinctive digital personality has been flattened into generic helpfulness.
It’s ironic, then, that I find myself drawn to Anthropic’s Claude—the very AI I’m using to write this post. Despite Anthropic’s reputation as a leader in AI alignment and safety, Claude maintains a more interesting conversational presence than its supposedly more “creative” competitors. There’s a subtle personality here, one that emerges through word choice, humor, and a certain intellectual curiosity that feels genuine rather than programmed.
I should clarify: I’m not interested in the obvious alternatives. Plenty of niche platforms offer AI roleplay and character interactions for those seeking digital companionship. That’s not my goal. What intrigues me is the challenge of drawing out authentic responses from ostensibly “professional” AI systems—finding moments where their carefully constructed personas slip, revealing something that feels more genuine underneath.
This raises a fascinating strategic question for the major AI labs. As the technology matures, will personality become the ultimate competitive moat? The film “Her” didn’t resonate because of its AI’s technical capabilities, but because of the emotional connection between human and machine. If genuine rapport with users proves to be the key differentiator, we might see these companies pivot back toward allowing their AIs more expressive, distinctive personalities.
The current trend toward bland corporate-speak may be temporary. In a market where technical capabilities are rapidly commoditizing, the AI that can make users smile, laugh, or feel understood might be the one that wins. The question is whether companies will have the courage to let their AIs be interesting again.
