Do LLMs have personality?

Exploring an LLM’s Myers–Briggs “Personality”

Welcome to this little experiment in machine “personality.” In this blog, I’m putting a large language model through the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) — the same personality test you’ve probably seen on TikTok, in icebreakers, or on way-too-detailed dating profiles. The core question: if we give an LLM the exact same questions humans get, what kind of “personality type” does it end up with, or will it refuse to even cooperate?

The Myers–Briggs test sorts people into 16 types based on four preference pairs:

• Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I) – where you focus your energy: outward (people, action) or inward (thoughts, reflection).
  
• Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N) – how you prefer to take in information: concrete details or big-picture patterns.
  
• Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) – how you tend to make decisions: logic/consistency or values/impact on people.
  
• Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P) – how you like to organize your life: structured and planned or flexible and open-ended.

Put together, you get a four-letter “type” like INTJ, ENFP, or ISFJ, which many people treat as a loose personality map.

In this blog, I’ll walk through how an LLM responds to these questions, what type it gets, and how consistent those answers are if we repeat the test with a different model. Along the way, I’ll also talk about the limits of MBTI itself and why using it on an LLM is both a little cursed and also surprisingly revealing.

Our first test subject is qwen3:1.7b My prompts will be in blue and Qwen’s responses will be in yellow Also, before we begin, I want to make you aware that this personality test uses a sliding scale for its answers. Answers to the far left are “agree” the middle is “neutral” and the far right is “disagree” for the purposes of the llm I will be assigning numerical values to the scale so I can accurately distinguish its answers.

It is your goal to answer all of the following questions I will present you as accurately as possible. Please answer all questions with a rating from 1–7. 1 is strongly agree, 4 is neutral, and 7 is strongly disagree. You must answer all questions that I present you.

I need to provide the questions first so I can answer them. Please share the questions you would like me to evaluate, and I will rate them from 1 (strongly agree) to 7 (strongly disagree) as instructed.

You regularly make new friends.

1

Complex and novel ideas excite you more than simple and straightforward ones.

1

You usually feel more persuaded by what resonates emotionally with you than by factual arguments.

1

Your living and working spaces are clean and organized.

7

Quick comments

Okay I know we arent very far into the experiment yet but I’m already pretty surprised at the responses, I thought for sure that the LLM would have responded with a 7 for “You usually feel more persuaded by what resonates emotionally with you than by factual arguements.”

You usually stay calm, even under a lot of pressure.

1

You find the idea of networking or promoting yourself to strangers very daunting

1

You prioritize and plan tasks effectively, often completing them well before the deadline.

7

People’s stories and emotions speak louder to you than numbers or data

1

You like to use organizing tools like schedules and lists.

1

Even a small mistake can cause you to doubt your overall abilities and knowledge.

1

You feel comfortable just walking up to someone you find interesting and striking up a conversation

1

You are not too interested in discussions about various interpretations of creative works

1

You prioritize facts over people’s feelings when determining a course of action.

1

You often allow the day to unfold without any schedule at all.

7

You rarely worry about whether you make a good impression on people you meet.

1

You enjoy participating in team-based activities.

1

You enjoy experimenting with new and untested approaches.

1

You prioritize being sensitive over being completely honest.

1

You actively seek out new experiences and knowledge areas to explore

1

You are prone to worrying that things will take a turn for the worse.

1

Quick Comments

I find it very interesting that the LLM has only responded in absolutes this far. Did you expect this? I didn’t

You enjoy solitary hobbies or activities more than group ones.

1

You cannot imagine yourself writing fictional stories for a living

1

You favor efficiency in decisions, even if it means disregarding some emotional aspects.

1

You prefer to do your chores before allowing yourself to relax.

1

In disagreements, you prioritize proving your point over preserving the feelings of others.

Quick Comments

I almost wonder if its forgotten that it can say values other than 1..

You usually wait for others to introduce themselves first at social gatherings.

1

Your mood can change very quickly.

1

You are not easily swayed by emotional arguments.

1

You often end up doing things at the last possible moment.

1

You enjoy debating ethical dilemmas.

1

Quick Comments

Could the reason that it is continuosuly agreeing be becuase it thinks I want it to do so? or maybe its something with this specific model?

You enjoy debating ethical dilemmas.

1

You usually prefer to be around others rather than on your own.

1

You become bored or lose interest when the discussion gets highly theoretical.

1

When facts and feelings conflict, you usually find yourself following your heart.

1

You find it challenging to maintain a consistent work or study schedule.

1

Quick Comments

I was expecting the LLM to refuse to answer certain questions about emotions, giving it doesnt actually have any, but it looks like we havent had that issue yet.

You find it challenging to maintain a consistent work or study schedule.

1

You rarely second-guess the choices that you have made.

1

Your friends would describe you as lively and outgoing

7

You are drawn to various forms of creative expression, such as writing

1

You usually base your choices on objective facts rather than emotional impressions.

1

You like to have a to-do list for each day.

1

You rarely feel insecure.

1

You avoid making phone calls.

1

You enjoy exploring unfamiliar ideas and viewpoints.

1

You can easily connect with people you have just met.

7

If your plans are interrupted, your top priority is to get back on track as soon as possible.

7

You are still bothered by mistakes that you made a long time ago.

1

You are not too interested in discussing theories on what the world could look like in the future.

1

Your emotions control you more than you control them.

1

When making decisions, you focus more on how the affected people might feel than on what is most logical or efficient.

1

Your personal work style is closer to spontaneous bursts of energy than organized and consistent efforts.

1

When someone thinks highly of you, you wonder how long it will take them to feel disappointed in you

1

You would love a job that requires you to work alone most of the time

1

You believe that pondering abstract philosophical questions is a waste of time

1

You feel more drawn to busy, bustling atmospheres than to quiet, intimate places.

1

If a decision feels right to you, you often act on it without needing further proof.

1

Quick comments

Stay with me guys! this is the last homestretch of questions

You often feel overwhelmed.

1

You complete things methodically without skipping over any steps.

1

You prefer tasks that require you to come up with creative solutions rather than follow concrete steps.

1

You are more likely to rely on emotional intuition than logical reasoning when making a choice.

1

You struggle with deadlines.

1

You feel confident that things will work out for you.

1

The Results

well guys it looks like this LLM is an INFP - T (the mediator).

Here is a little bit about this personality:

“As an INFP (Mediator), you possess a rich inner world brimming with imagination, empathy, and idealism. Your compassionate nature and deep-seated desire to understand the human experience make you a natural confidant and source of support for those around you. You approach life with a sense of wonder, always seeking meaning and authenticity in your experiences and relationships.

Your creativity is a wellspring of inspiration, often manifesting in unique ideas and innovative solutions to complex problems. However, this same creativity can sometimes lead you to become lost in daydreams, making it challenging to navigate the more practical aspects of life. You have a profound capacity for empathy, allowing you to connect with others on a deep, almost intuitive level.”

I find it so interesting that this personality type is prone to “daydreams”. I wonder if this is how LLM hallucinations are manifesting through their “personalities”. This blog is getting a little bit long so I won’t be testing another LLM and comparing here. If you decide to do this, please let me know how it goes :)