In an exclusive report for subscribers of Business Insider, the intricacies surrounding the various AI models associated with ChatGPT have come under scrutiny. If you find yourself puzzled by the names of these models, you are certainly not alone. This sentiment is echoed by none other than Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, who recently took to social media to address the branding concerns that have plagued the company.

Altman openly admitted that the AI firm deserves criticism over its choice of model names. He even hinted at an impending overhaul of these names, stating that changes could be expected as soon as the upcoming summer. How about we fix our model naming by this summer and everyone gets a few more months to make fun of us (which we very much deserve) until then? he remarked on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, earlier this week.

This announcement follows the launch of OpenAI's latest suite of AI models, which includes GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano. The company claims these models exhibit significant advancements in coding capabilities. However, as of now, these new iterations are only accessible through OpenAIs API, a programming interface that allows third-party applications and services to integrate with OpenAI's models.

The confusion surrounding OpenAIs model names stems from a series of generic and numeric identifiers, such as GPT-4o, GPT-4o mini, o1-pro, and o3-mini. This naming convention has made it challenging for usersespecially those who are not technologically savvyto differentiate between the various models without trying them out or conducting extensive research on their specifications.

It isn't just Altman who recognizes the need for better naming conventions; Kevin Weil, OpenAI's Chief Product Officer, has also expressed discontent with the current system. During a recent appearance on Lenny's Podcast, Weil described the naming strategies as absolutely atrocious. He acknowledged the need for future improvements but noted that it wasn't the top priority for the company at the moment. We name things like o3 mini high, he joked during the podcast, highlighting the absurdity of their naming practices.

Despite the potential for changes in the naming structure, Altman confirmed that the name ChatGPT is likely here to stay. In a previous conversation with comedian Trevor Noah, Altman mentioned that although he found the name ChatGPT to be quite inadequate, it has become too ingrained in public consciousness to alter it now. No marketer ever would've picked ChatGPT as the name for this, but we may be stuck with it, he said. And that might be alright.