What is Temperature?
Last updated May 2026A setting that controls how creative or deterministic AI outputs are.
Definition
Temperature is a parameter that controls the randomness of AI model outputs. A temperature of 0 makes the model deterministic (always choosing the most likely next token), while higher temperatures (0.7-1.0) introduce more randomness and creativity. Lower temperatures are better for factual tasks, higher temperatures for creative writing.
💡 Example
Asking GPT-4 to write a poem at temperature 0.9 produces more creative, varied results each time. The same prompt at temperature 0.1 produces nearly identical, predictable output. Most chat interfaces default to around 0.7.
Related concepts
A type of AI trained on massive text datasets to understand and generate human language.
The process of running a trained AI model to generate predictions or outputs.
Why this matters
Temperature controls creativity vs consistency in AI outputs. Low temperature (0-0.3) gives predictable, factual responses — ideal for data extraction and coding. High temperature (0.7-1.0) gives more creative, varied responses — better for brainstorming and creative writing.
Real-world example
If you ask Claude to write a poem at temperature 0.2, you'll get a structured, conventional poem. At temperature 0.9, you'll get something more experimental and surprising. For business emails, keep temperature low. For creative fiction, turn it up.
See it in action
A way for developers to programmatically access AI models in their own applications.
What is Temperature?
Temperature is a parameter that controls the randomness of AI model outputs. A temperature of 0 makes the model deterministic (always choosing the most likely next token), while higher temperatures (0.7-1.0) introduce more randomness and creativity. Lower temperatures are better for factual tasks, higher temperatures for creative writing.
How does Temperature work in practice?
Asking GPT-4 to write a poem at temperature 0.9 produces more creative, varied results each time. The same prompt at temperature 0.1 produces nearly identical, predictable output. Most chat interfaces default to around 0.7.
What temperature setting should you use for different tasks?
Use low temperature (0 to 0.3) for factual tasks, coding, and data extraction where consistency matters. Use medium temperature (0.4 to 0.7) for general writing and conversation. Use high temperature (0.8 to 1.0) for creative writing, brainstorming, and generating diverse ideas.
What happens if you set temperature to 0?
At temperature 0, the model always picks the most probable next token, making outputs nearly deterministic. This is ideal for tasks where you want the same input to produce the same output every time, like data parsing or classification. However, outputs may feel robotic or repetitive.
Do all AI tools let you adjust temperature?
Most AI APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) expose temperature as a parameter. Consumer chat interfaces like ChatGPT and Claude typically do not let users adjust temperature directly, though some offer creative vs precise mode toggles that adjust it behind the scenes.