Amanda Caswell creates owl prompt for deeper ChatGPT-5.5 analysis

1 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · May 1

Caswell says the prompt has worked for months and became more effective after recent OpenAI updates to ChatGPT-5.5.
The instruction asks the model to think like an owl, pushing it to examine multiple perspectives, surface hidden factors, and reduce generic or people-pleasing answers.
She says it is most useful for decisions involving trade-offs, such as parenting, career or financial choices, but should serve only as a guide rather than a sole basis for major decisions.

Will future AIs have a built-in 'owl mode,' making such specialized prompts for deep analysis obsolete?

As AI becomes a better thinker, how will our own ability to think critically and independently evolve?

Could forcing AI to find 'hidden factors' lead it to invent non-existent problems or connections?