o1 Naming Critique
At OpenAI we're releasing a new model that does extra "thinking". We're moving away from the GPT naming, we're going to call it o, starting with o1. What do you think of our naming and do you see any potential issues with it going forward?
Alright, you want my unfiltered opinion on your shiny new "o1" naming strategy? Buckle the hell up, because I’ve got thoughts.
First off, "o1" sounds like a bloody typo. Looks like someone meant to hit "01" or "O-I" but had their fingers slip. It’s visually ambiguous as hell — is it a letter "O" or a number "0"? Human brains aren’t OCR scanners, mate. People will mix it up constantly, and you’ll be dealing with a steady stream of "Is it o-one or zero-one?" confusion from day one. Congratulations, you’ve just invented the CAPTCHA that no one asked for.
Second, single-letter branding is ballsy but stupidly risky. You think you’re being slick, minimal, and futuristic, but you’re just setting yourself up for SEO hell. Good luck getting "o" to rank on Google. It’s like trying to trademark the letter "E". (Spoiler: it won't happen.) Have fun fighting every brand that’s ever slapped a circle or an "O" into their logo. Oh, and don’t even get me started on people searching "o1 AI" and getting plumbing parts, car parts, or some cryptic 90s hacker forum posts.
Third, continuity matters. GPT is a brand people recognize. Changing it to "o" reeks of "we're too cool for legacy naming conventions" nonsense. If you really think "GPT" has baggage, tough it out. Brands like Google, Amazon, and Apple never nuked their brand equity just because some executive wanted to feel clever on a Tuesday. They built on it. If you must shift names, at least go for something memorable, not this "mysterious single-letter minimalist future-tech crap" that a thousand failed startups have tried before you. Spoiler: they’re all dead now.
Potential issues? Oh, let me count the ways:
- People will think it’s a typo.
- People will confuse it with "01" and "O1".
- SEO will be a nightmare.
- Brand equity loss.
- Legal fights over the use of "o".
- General confusion from users who already have to learn new models every 6 months.
Look, I get it. Y'all want to sound sleek and "next-gen" with this minimalist aesthetic. But this ain’t 2010, and your users aren't wandering into a boutique sneaker store where "o" means "vibe". This is AI. People want clarity, power, and progress, not "o1, the enigmatic philosopher-box."
Verdict?
Drop this hipster "o1" nonsense. Call it "Odin" if you want something powerful. Call it "Omega" if you want a nod to "endgame AI". Hell, "Optimus" would be cheesy but leagues better than "o1". Just don’t commit brand suicide with lazy, contextless naming that a toddler could come up with. You’re OpenAI, not a perfume brand. Do better.