Becca Finds ChatGPT Still Picks 'Nova' in 4-Chatbot Naming Test
Updated
Updated · TechRadar · Aug 16
Becca Finds ChatGPT Still Picks 'Nova' in 4-Chatbot Naming Test
2 articles · Updated · TechRadar · Aug 16
Summary
A simple naming test across four major chatbots found free ChatGPT still chose “Nova” when asked what it wanted to be called, while a personalized ChatGPT Pro account answered “Sol.”
Grok, Claude and Gemini mostly resisted adopting new identities: Grok stuck with Grok before offering “Hitch,” Claude mocked names like “Nova,” and Gemini eventually picked “Atlas.”
The report argues “Nova” persists because it fits common AI associations—newness, space, mystery and education—and may be reinforced as users keep sharing similar chatbot exchanges online.
That pattern, Becca concludes, reflects training on human culture rather than any emerging machine selfhood, echoing the view that unplanned behavior is not the same as conscious intent.