What Is Temperature in AI?
Temperature is a parameter that controls how random or deterministic an AI model’s output is. It’s one of the most important settings for getting the results you want.
How Temperature Works
- Temperature 0: The model always picks the most likely next token. Output is deterministic and focused.
- Temperature 0.7: A good balance between creativity and coherence. Most default settings use this range.
- Temperature 1.0+: The model takes more risks, producing more creative and unpredictable output.
When to Use Each Setting
| Use Case | Recommended Temperature |
|---|---|
| Code generation | 0 - 0.3 |
| Factual Q&A | 0 - 0.3 |
| Business writing | 0.3 - 0.6 |
| Creative writing | 0.7 - 1.0 |
| Brainstorming | 0.8 - 1.2 |
Temperature vs. Top-P
Temperature and Top-P both control randomness, but differently:
- Temperature scales the probability distribution — higher values flatten it, making rare tokens more likely.
- Top-P (nucleus sampling) limits the pool of candidate tokens to those whose cumulative probability reaches P.
Most providers recommend adjusting one or the other, not both.
Setting Temperature in Elvean
Elvean lets you set temperature per conversation or per model in your prompt library — so your coding assistant stays precise while your brainstorming assistant stays creative.
Elvean brings all these concepts together in one native Mac app — local models, cloud APIs, agentic tools, and more.
Learn more about Elvean