Temperature
Also known as: temp
Temperature is a number (usually 0–1, sometimes a bit more) that controls how much the model “rolls the dice” when picking each next token.
Every step, the model has a ranked list of candidate words. Temperature decides how much weight the less-likely candidates get:
| Temperature | Behavior | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0–0.3 | Nearly always picks the most likely word. Deterministic, safe. | Code, JSON, factual answers, agents |
| 0.5–0.7 | Balanced. Varied but on-topic. | General chat, summaries, most writing |
| 0.8–1.2+ | Frequently takes the fun riskier word. | Brainstorming, stories, taglines |
So the model doesn’t have a “creativity mode” you turn on — you’re just widening the set of acceptable next words.
Rule of thumb: when an AI writes code or data, use a low temperature. When it writes copy or ideas, nudge it up. Most chat apps default to ~0.7, which is fine for both.