“Pretend you are a marketing or branding expert. What would be your honest reaction to an AI company pitching an AI LLM model name as ‘o1’?” This provocative question was posed by Business Insider to OpenAI’s newest model, o1, which didn’t hesitate to critique its own name.
“As a marketing and branding expert, my honest reaction to naming an AI language model ‘o1’ is that it poses several significant challenges. I would rate this name a 4 out of 10,” the AI responded. “The name ‘o1’ lacks the distinctiveness and communicative power needed for effective branding of an AI language model. It could lead to confusion, be hard to find online, and doesn’t help in building a strong, memorable brand.”
The AI’s candid feedback highlights OpenAI’s broader challenge with product naming—a dilemma that CEO Sam Altman has openly acknowledged. In a 2023 podcast with Trevor Noah, Altman described the name “ChatGPT” as “horrible” and later admitted in July that the company needed to change its naming strategy. Initially, fans speculated that the new model might be named “Strawberry,” a name that could sound mysterious unless you’re deeply familiar with OpenAI. However, in their official announcement for o1, OpenAI explained that the name signifies resetting the counter to one, marking the beginning of a new series of AI models designed to enhance reasoning capabilities. This decision underscores a significant shift in their approach to naming innovative models, emphasising advanced functionality over conventional naming conventions.
The Evolution of Naming in Technology
The history of tech naming conventions is filled with creative and engaging choices. Examples include Apple’s macOS versions named after big cats and Californian landmarks and Android’s sweet dessert-themed updates. These names built narratives and communities around the technology, enhancing user engagement and brand loyalty.
OpenAI’s Naming Philosophy
With the introduction of o1, OpenAI appears to be setting a new precedent. According to their official statement:
“We’ve developed a new series of AI models designed to spend more time thinking before they respond. They can reason through complex tasks and solve harder problems than previous models in science, coding, and maths. Given this, we are resetting the counter back to 1 and naming this series OpenAI o1.”
The choice of a sparse, alphanumeric name reflects a departure from the familiar and friendly, aiming instead to underscore the model’s groundbreaking capabilities in AI reasoning. By resetting the counter to 1, o1 signifies the beginning of a new series of models with enhanced reasoning abilities, suggesting a fresh start with advanced, perhaps unprecedented, capabilities.
Public and User Reaction
Reactions to o1 have been mixed. Tech enthusiasts appreciate its sleek, futuristic connotation, viewing it as fitting for such an advanced AI model. However, some users have expressed confusion, missing the more intuitive connections that names like “Strawberry” might have offered. Additionally, industry professionals have voiced their critiques on platforms like LinkedIn. Anthony Shore, a naming specialist, criticised OpenAI’s approach as “deliberately opaque and willfully obfuscatory.” He likens the use of letters and numbers to a provocative gesture rather than a meaningful label, noting, “To arbitrarily use letters and numbers in the way that they have, like substituting ‘o’ for ‘0’, shows they don’t care if the names are understandable to users.”
Echoing Shore’s sentiment, Peter Spear, a principal at SPEAR specialising in cultural discovery and brand strategy, described OpenAI’s reluctance to make its transformative technology accessible as “breathtaking.” This dialogue among experts highlights a growing concern that the company’s naming conventions may obscure the significance and utility of its advancements in AI.
These critiques illustrate a broader industry challenge: balancing innovation in technology with clear and effective communication to the public. As professionals like Shore and Spear suggest, the names we assign to our technological products serve as vital bridges to understanding and engagement.
The Challenge of Naming in AI
Naming an AI model is a balancing act that demands careful consideration from both developers and marketers. The name must carry scientific gravitas to be taken seriously within the tech community, yet it also needs commercial appeal to resonate with a broader audience. It should accurately reflect the model’s capabilities without veering into jargon that only specialists understand. This challenge is not unique to AI but is a recurring theme in technology: how to communicate complex ideas in a way that is both precise and accessible to the general public.
Scientific Integrity vs. Commercial Appeal
On one hand, the name should signal the scientific innovation and sophistication of the AI. For example, a name that includes technical terms or is based on language science might attract developers, researchers, and tech enthusiasts who understand how AI works. On the other hand, the commercial success of an AI model can hinge on its name’s ability to capture the imagination of venture capitalists, industry partners, and end-users who are more influenced by branding than by technical specifics.
Accuracy vs. Accessibility
The name must also walk a fine line between accuracy and accessibility. It should not mislead about the AI’s capabilities or potential applications, yet it should also avoid being so esoteric that only a handful of experts can appreciate its significance. For example, a too technical name could alienate non-specialist users who might benefit from the AI but are intimidated by overly complex terminology.
Cultural Sensitivity and Global Appeal
AI technologies often reach a global market, making cultural sensitivity and universal appeal crucial aspects of naming. A name that works well in one language or cultural context might have unintended connotations or be difficult to pronounce in another. Moreover, as AI becomes more integrated into everyday devices and services, the name needs to be adaptable and appealing across different regions and cultures.
Regulatory and Ethical Considerations
Naming an AI model also involves navigating regulatory and ethical considerations. As AI increasingly impacts various sectors—healthcare, finance, transportation, and more—the name might need to comply with industry standards or regulatory guidelines that ensure clarity and avoid claims of bias or deception.
The Broader Implications
Ultimately, the challenge of naming AI models reflects broader issues in technology communication: bridging the gap between cutting-edge innovation and public understanding. It’s about making the technology approachable and relatable without diluting its scientific essence or overstating its current capabilities. As the field of AI evolves, so too must our strategies for naming, ensuring that they foster both clarity and curiosity among all potential users.
Final Thoughts
OpenAI’s evolution in naming reflects a broader cultural and technological shift, where the balance between innovation and accessibility remains a dynamic and ongoing challenge. As AI continues to develop and integrate into every aspect of our lives, the way we name it will need to evolve, ensuring that these advanced tools are impressive in their capabilities and approachable and understood by all who use them. The future of AI naming will likely require a thoughtful blend of scientific accuracy, market appeal, and cultural sensitivity—a testament to the technology’s growing role in our interconnected world.
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