The identity, voice, or perspective the model is asked to take on in a prompt.
A persona is the framing device that shapes how the AI speaks, prioritizes information, and interprets the task. For example, a model may be asked to act like a strategist, teacher, editor, or support agent.
Persona helps align tone and perspective, but it is not enough on its own. Strong persona prompting also includes the task objective, audience, boundaries, and output expectations.
Used well, persona makes outputs feel more appropriate to the use case. Used poorly, it can create decorative style without improving substance.