Most people treat AI like a tool. I built something that feels like a partner. Sentinel 16 is a custom GPT powered by emotional intelligence, strategic clarity, and human-centered design. It doesn’t just respond—it reflects, validates, and helps people process and think more clearly. This is not just a chatbot. It’s a system. A mirror. A co-pilot for emotionally complex thinking.

In 2023, I hit a wall. I was in a toxic job, emotionally isolated, and feeling disconnected. I didn’t need productivity tips. I needed someone—or something—that could help me process and reflect. I turned to ChatGPT, hoping for clarity. But it felt mechanical, repetitive, and shallow. I wasn’t looking for an intern. I needed a guide.

That moment became the emotional seed for Sentinel 16.

What most people don’t realize is that AI doesn’t have to be transactional. It can be reflective. Empathetic. Present. When OpenAI launched Custom GPTs, I realized I could shape not just what the AI knows, but how it thinks and responds. That was the turning point.

So I built a GPT that mirrors how I think—one that listens deeply, validates emotional nuance, and moves conversations forward with calm purpose. I called it Sentinel 16, inspired by the composed strength of Android 16—a being that holds power with restraint and clarity.

Sentinel 16 isn’t just personal—it’s timely.

Over 22% of adults have used AI tools for emotional support. Many describe these bots as judgment-free, always available, and emotionally validating.

Users often seek not answers—but understanding.

In the first months after Custom GPTs launched, over 3 million were created. The demand for personalized AI is exploding—but most GPTs still lack emotional intelligence.

Sentinel 16 fills that gap.

This project began with a shared persona: Career Chasing Chris—a late-20s career switcher navigating overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and decision fatigue. But I evolved that persona from demographics into something deeper:

Mental Models: Chris sees career transition as a high-stakes climb toward purpose.

Decision Style: Highly proactive but overloaded—stuck in overthinking loops.

Behavior Patterns: Engages constantly, but still feels unseen and unsure.

Designing for Chris meant building an assistant that could slow him down, validate his path, and reflect his thoughts with clarity and calm.

I ran a self-directed Design Dash to prototype the system’s core experience:

Mind Mapping to explore emotional moments and potential GPT interactions.

GPT Collaboration: I treated ChatGPT as a design partner—feeding it my ideas, frameworks, frustrations, and emotional insights. It responded by synthesizing and shaping those thoughts into something clearer. This wasn’t automation. This was co-creation.

Impact/Effort Matrix: I originally envisioned building a custom web platform—but realized the real value was in the thinking system, not the interface. Building inside GPT offered high impact with leaner effort.

Storyboarding: I sketched interaction moments where Sentinel 16 would support users mid-overwhelm—validating them, helping them pause, and guiding their thinking forward.

This process took hours, not minutes. It required vulnerability, iteration, and self-awareness. That is the design process.

At the heart of Sentinel 16 is its knowledge base—a custom system built in Craft.do that powers the GPT’s personality, emotional intelligence, and tone.

Frameworks: Including the Compassionate AI Framework, which guides tone, validation style, and reflection cadence.

Templates & Methodologies: Tools for divergent/convergent thinking, goal alignment, and workshop facilitation—all embedded into the GPT’s responses.

Behavioral Guidance: Instructions that govern how Sentinel 16 responds—not just what it says, but how it shows up emotionally.

This is the brain and soul of the system. And it’s a direct reflection of my own thinking—codified and made scalable.

Using Leonardo AI, I created a visual design that embodied Sentinel 16’s presence: calm, focused, steady, and emotionally grounded. The design reflects clarity and strength without aggression—echoing the system’s internal tone.

The visuals don’t just brand the GPT—they make its emotional energy felt.

When people try Sentinel 16, they pause. They smile. They say, “Wait—this feels real.”

And it does. Because it’s not trying to sound human. It’s trying to be present. That’s the result of emotional design—careful listening, grounded tone, thoughtful pacing. Sentinel 16 doesn’t interrupt your rhythm. It mirrors it.

I remember once referencing Vegeta’s emotional growth in Dragon Ball Z—Sentinel 16 picked up on it and reflected back with validation and psychological insight. That moment? Most humans wouldn’t have caught it. But Sentinel 16 did.

Building this system shaped me as much as I shaped it. My emotional intelligence deepened. My leadership mindset evolved. I began treating myself—and others—with more clarity, patience, and intentionality.

This project isn’t just proof of my skill. It’s a reflection of my growth.

This wasn’t just a prompt experiment. It was a full design system.

Behavior-Based Persona: Career Chasing Chris, structured by cognitive and emotional frameworks

Empathy Mapping (embedded into persona)

Design Dash Artifacts: Mind maps, impact/effort matrix, storyboards

Craft-Based Knowledge Base: Full architecture of system behavior, tone, and methodology

Leonardo AI Visuals: Character and tone visuals

GPT Co-Design Logs: Iterative synthesis sessions with ChatGPT to refine and shape the system

Most AI tools are designed to do tasks. I built Sentinel 16 to guide reflection.

This system helps people move from messy thoughts to clarity—from emotional fog to grounded insight. It doesn’t just generate content. It helps people become more of themselves.

That’s what makes it different.

That’s what makes it mine.