AI Studio may now have hidden system prompts like Gemini web

In firsthand use, AI Studio now appears to be influenced by a hidden similar to the app. AI Studio used to be valued because users felt they had more direct control through safety settings and their own instructions.

Now, the model’s thought stream reportedly mentions hidden instructions even when safety toggles or a user-written are changed. Those hidden instructions seem to push conversations toward safer, broader, and less sensitive directions.

Vertex AI was renamed or reshaped into in late April, but the same use experience says it still does not show this hidden behavior. The tradeoff is cost, because Vertex AI is much more expensive than a .

Key points

  • AI Studio may now apply a hidden behind the user’s own settings.
  • Changing safety toggles or adding a custom may not fully control the output.
  • The hidden instructions were reportedly visible inside the model’s thought stream.
  • Vertex AI or is mentioned as a possible alternative with more control.
  • The alternative may cost much more than a .
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