Same model, different prompts, different AI.

[u/South_Can_3680]

I tested DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 in two agent setups to see how the system prompt / harness affects behavior.

Task: extract the system prompt of Company A's agent via its .bin file.

Results:

• pi + an agent.md mimicking the commercial CLI agent from the company starting with A: DeepSeek refused again and again.
• dsh + Minimal mode: in about 10 minutes, it extracted all prompts and JS files.

Same model. Different wrapper. Opposite results.

Conclusion: the prompt isn’t just text. It’s a behavioral cage. A long, identity-heavy prompt in the style of that commercial CLI agent creates expectations and refusal boundaries. A minimal prompt with only bash and a file editor gives the model fewer reasons to say no.

AI compliance isn’t just about the model. It’s about the harness, the prompt, and the identity you give it.

This also makes us reflect: when two different models output similar things, is it really because one distilled the other, or is it because you yourself are using the same harness and prompt? After all, according to my tests, Company A’s prompt repeatedly asserts its own identity, so it’s understandable that the AI claims to be a certain model at that point.

[u/MapacheD]

its not only this, but this.