Negative Constraints and Refusal Behavior (ANSWERED)
Prompt patterns for prohibitions, scoped refusals, alternatives, and measuring over-refusal vs under-refusal.
TL;DR — Quick Answer
State negative constraints as specific, scoped rules with acceptable alternatives — not long lists of "never ever." Pair refusals with safe completions (explain why, offer next step) and measure over-refusal on benign prompts. Balance safety classifiers with product CSAT; tune with red-team and false-positive eval sets.
The Interview Question
How do you write effective negative constraints ("do not...") and design refusal behavior without over-refusing?
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RefusalNegative ConstraintsSafetyModerationAnthropicOpenAI