8/11/2025

The Leaked System Prompt: What It Teaches Us About Better Prompting

Ever felt like you're not getting the most out of AI? You type in a request, & the response is… fine. But it's not GREAT. It lacks that spark, that "wow" factor you know is possible. Well, what if I told you there's a secret to unlocking the true power of these large language models (LLMs)? A secret that some of the biggest names in tech have been using behind the scenes.

Turns out, there is. It's called a "system prompt," & recently, a massive trove of them—over 6,500 to be exact—was leaked on GitHub. This wasn't just some random collection of user prompts; these were the secret instructions, the "source code" of sorts, that companies like Cursor, Manus, & Bolt use to make their AI tools tick.

This leak is, honestly, a goldmine for anyone interested in AI. It's like getting a peek under the hood of a Formula 1 car to see how it's engineered for peak performance. & what these leaks teach us is that the art of prompting is far more nuanced & powerful than most of us realize.

So, let's dive into what these leaked system prompts are, why they're such a big deal, & most importantly, what they can teach us about crafting better prompts to get WAY more out of the AI tools we use every day.

What in the World is a System Prompt?

Before we get into the juicy details of the leaks, let's back up a bit & talk about what a system prompt actually is. Think of it as the AI's constitution or its core programming. It's a hidden set of instructions that developers give to an AI model to define its personality, its rules of engagement, & its core functions.

When you interact with an AI like ChatGPT, your prompt isn't the only thing the model sees. It's combined with a pre-existing system prompt that tells the AI how to behave. Should it be a helpful assistant? A creative partner? A coding guru? The system prompt sets that stage.

It also lays out the ground rules: what the AI can & can't do. This is where developers build in safety guardrails, define the desired output format (like "always respond in code blocks"), & essentially shape the AI's "character." So, if you've ever wondered why an AI gives you a weird answer or refuses to do something, the system prompt is often the reason why.

The Great System Prompt Leak of 2025

Earlier this year, the AI community was buzzing about a massive leak of system prompts from some of the top AI companies out there. Over 6,500 prompts were made public on GitHub, offering an unprecedented look into the inner workings of these powerful tools.

This was a BIG deal. Companies normally guard their system prompts like the crown jewels. They're the secret sauce that makes their AI products unique & effective. To have them all laid bare for the world to see was, for many, like getting a masterclass in prompt engineering from the best in the business.

The leaked prompts came from a range of companies, each with its own unique approach to AI:

Vercel's v0: This tool generates UI code from prompts, & its system prompt revealed the intricate instructions it uses to translate plain language into functional code.
Cursor AI: An AI-powered code editor, its prompts detailed how it understands a user's entire codebase to provide helpful suggestions & edits.
Devin AI: Billed as an "AI software engineer," its prompts gave clues as to how it attempts to tackle complex coding tasks from start to finish.
Manus AI: A Chinese AI agentic system, its prompt showed how it was designed to excel at specific tasks & interact in its default working language.

This leak provided a treasure trove of insights for developers, researchers, & anyone curious about AI. It was a chance to see how the pros structure their prompts, chain instructions together, & squeeze every last drop of performance out of their models.

The "GPT-5" Leak: A Glimpse into the Future?

Adding to the intrigue, what was purported to be the system prompt for an unreleased "GPT-5" also surfaced. While the name was likely speculative, the contents of the prompt were fascinating. They showed a clear push by OpenAI to make its next-generation model more aggressive in seeking out up-to-date information by using the web.

The prompt mandated that the AI score a query's "recency need" on a scale from zero to five & use a web search for anything that could be fresh, niche, or high-stakes. This is a direct response to one of the biggest criticisms of current models: their tendency to get basic, easily verifiable facts wrong.

The leaked "GPT-5" prompt also revealed a much stricter set of guardrails around personal information. It explicitly forbade the AI from remembering "overly-personal details that could feel creepy," such as race, ethnicity, religion, specific criminal records, precise geolocation data, & even political affiliation. This points to a growing awareness & concern within the AI industry about the ethical implications of data privacy & the potential for AI to misuse personal information.

What We Can Learn from the Leaked Prompts

So, what are the practical takeaways from all of this? How can we use the insights from these leaked system prompts to become better prompters ourselves? Here are some of the key lessons:

1. Be INSANELY Specific

One of the most obvious things you'll notice when looking at these leaked prompts is their level of detail. They don't just say "be a helpful assistant." They go into excruciating detail about what that means. They define the AI's persona, its tone of voice, its areas of expertise, & its limitations.

For example, the prompt for Cursor, the AI code editor, doesn't just say "help with coding." It says something like: "You are a powerful agentic AI coding system designed by Cursor, an AI company based in San Francisco... You operate exclusively in Cursor, the world's best IDE." This immediately sets the context & gives the AI a clear sense of its identity & purpose.

How to apply this:

Give your AI a persona: Instead of just asking a question, tell the AI who it should be. "You are a world-renowned chef with 20 years of experience in French cuisine..." or "You are a seasoned financial advisor specializing in retirement planning for millennials..."
Define the context: Provide as much background information as possible. "I'm writing a blog post for an audience of beginner gardeners..." or "I'm preparing a presentation for a skeptical executive team..."
Specify the format: Don't just ask for information; tell the AI how you want it presented. "Give me a bulleted list of the top 5 benefits," "Write this as a script for a 2-minute YouTube video," or "Present this information in a table with columns for 'pro,' 'con,' & 'cost'."

2. The Power of "Don't"

Just as important as telling the AI what to do is telling it what not to do. The leaked prompts are full of negative constraints. The "GPT-5" prompt, for instance, has a long list of things it's not allowed to do, like reproduce copyrighted material or store creepy personal details.

This is a powerful technique that can help you avoid common AI pitfalls like generating generic, unhelpful, or even harmful content.

How to apply this:

Be explicit about what you don't want: "Don't use jargon," "Don't give me a history lesson, just get to the point," or "Don't suggest any solutions that cost more than $100."
Set boundaries: "Your response should be no longer than 300 words," or "Only use information from sources published in the last two years."

3. Chain Your Prompts for Complex Tasks

Another key insight from the leaks is the use of chained prompts. For complex tasks, the AI isn't just given one massive prompt. Instead, the task is broken down into a series of smaller, more manageable steps, with each prompt building on the previous one.

This is how tools like Devin AI, the "AI software engineer," are able to tackle complex coding projects. They don't just get a single prompt that says "build me an app." They get a series of prompts that guide them through the process of planning, coding, debugging, & deploying the application.

How to apply this:

Break down your task: Instead of asking the AI to "write a business plan," break it down into smaller steps: "First, let's brainstorm the executive summary," "Now, let's work on the market analysis," "Next, let's outline the marketing & sales strategy."
Feed the AI its own output: Use the AI's previous response as input for your next prompt. "Okay, that's a good start for the executive summary. Now, let's expand on the section about our target audience."

4. The Rise of AI in Customer Service & Business Automation

A common thread in many of the leaked prompts is their focus on specific business applications. From generating code to providing customer support, it's clear that AI is being tailored for a wide range of business needs.

This is where tools like Arsturn come into play. Businesses are increasingly looking for ways to leverage AI to automate processes, improve efficiency, & provide better customer experiences. One of the most powerful applications of this is in the realm of customer service.

Think about it: how many times have you been frustrated by a company's customer support? You have to navigate a confusing phone menu, wait on hold for what feels like an eternity, & then explain your problem to multiple people. It's a terrible experience.

This is where AI-powered chatbots can make a HUGE difference. But not just any chatbot. The problem with many early chatbots was that they were, to put it bluntly, dumb. They could only answer a very limited set of pre-programmed questions, & if you strayed even slightly from the script, they were useless.

But with the power of modern LLMs, it's now possible to create chatbots that are actually intelligent & helpful. & this is where a platform like Arsturn shines. It allows businesses to create custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. This means the chatbot can provide instant, accurate, & personalized support to customers 24/7.

Imagine a customer lands on your website with a question about your product. Instead of having to search through a dense FAQ page or wait for a live agent to become available, they can simply ask the chatbot. & because the chatbot is trained on your specific product information, it can provide an answer that is not only accurate but also tailored to that customer's needs. This is a game-changer for customer engagement & satisfaction.

5. From Lead Generation to Personalized Experiences

Beyond customer support, the leaked prompts also highlight the growing use of AI in lead generation & website optimization. Businesses are realizing that they can use AI to not only answer customer questions but also to proactively engage with website visitors & guide them through the sales funnel.

This is another area where a tool like Arsturn can be incredibly powerful. It helps businesses build no-code AI chatbots that can do things like:

Qualify leads: The chatbot can ask visitors a series of questions to determine if they're a good fit for your product or service.
Book meetings: The chatbot can integrate with your calendar to schedule demos or sales calls with qualified leads.
Provide personalized recommendations: Based on a visitor's browsing history & a few simple questions, the chatbot can recommend the products or services that are most relevant to them.

This is about more than just automation. It's about using AI to create more meaningful & personalized connections with your audience. When a visitor feels like you understand their needs & are providing them with helpful, relevant information, they're much more likely to become a customer.

The Future of Prompting is a Conversation

If there's one overarching lesson to be learned from the leaked system prompts, it's this: the future of AI is conversational. We're moving away from a world where we simply give the AI a command & hope for the best. Instead, we're moving towards a world where we have a dynamic, back-&-forth conversation with the AI to achieve our goals.

The best prompters are not those who can write the most complex, one-shot prompts. They're the ones who can guide the AI through a task, providing feedback, clarification, & additional context along the way. It's a skill that requires a combination of creativity, critical thinking, & a deep understanding of how these models work.

& as AI becomes more & more integrated into our daily lives & business workflows, the ability to have these effective conversations with AI will become an increasingly valuable skill. The leaked system prompts have given us a rare glimpse into how the pros do it. Now it's up to us to take those lessons & apply them.

So, the next time you're staring at a blank prompt window, don't just ask a question. Start a conversation. Give your AI a persona. Set the context. Tell it what you don't want. & don't be afraid to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.

The power to unlock the full potential of AI is at your fingertips. You just need to know how to ask.

Hope this was helpful & gives you some new ideas to play with. Let me know what you think