--- title: AI is Sowing the Seeds of Brand Confusion description: AI's branding issues confuse users with similar product names and unclear model choices. How can companies simplify experience and enhance differentiation? image: https://signal78.ai/hubfs/DALL%C2%B7E%202025-02-18%2016.15.07%20-%20A%20geometric%2c%20low-poly%20style%20image%20of%20a%20robot%20planting%20seeds%20in%20the%20ground%2c%20symbolizing%20growth%20and%20progress.%20The%20robot%20should%20have%20a%20sleek%2c%20futuristic%20.webp --- [Skip to content](https://signal78.ai/insights/ai-is-sowing-the-seeds-of-brand-confusion#main) [![Signal78 home](https://signal78.ai/hs-fs/hubfs/signal78-site/logo-signal78.png?width=95&height=30&name=logo-signal78.png)](https://signal78.ai/) [Home](https://signal78.ai/) [Platform](https://signal78.ai/platform) [Services](https://signal78.ai/services) [About](https://signal78.ai/about) [Insights](https://signal78.ai/insights) [Book a demo](https://signal78.ai/insights/ai-is-sowing-the-seeds-of-brand-confusion#demo) [← Insights](https://signal78.ai/insights) Practical AIFebruary 18, 20253 min read # AI is Sowing the Seeds of Brand Confusion ![Matt Cyr](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/signal78-site/headshot-matt-cyr.jpg)**Matt Cyr** · Founder & President, Loop ![](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/DALL%C2%B7E%202025-02-18%2016.15.07%20-%20A%20geometric%2c%20low-poly%20style%20image%20of%20a%20robot%20planting%20seeds%20in%20the%20ground%2c%20symbolizing%20growth%20and%20progress.%20The%20robot%20should%20have%20a%20sleek%2c%20futuristic%20.webp) In this article Share AI has a branding problem. Yesterday, Perplexity, the small-but-mighty “answer engine” that’s the darling of many AI aficionados, [released “Deep Research,”](https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-perplexity-deep-research) a new tool that can go look into a problem for you and come back with a research paper, fully annotated, based on information collected from across the web. It would be a very big deal and truly newsworthy if not for the fact that [OpenAI released a product just a couple weeks ago](https://openai.com/index/introducing-deep-research/) called “Deep Research” that does basically what Perplexity’s Deep Research does. Or that Google released an AI-driven research tool last December called, you guessed it, “[Deep Research](https://blog.google/products/gemini/google-gemini-deep-research/)”. The people who work at these companies must hang out together at the same Silicon Valley coffee shop…did *none* of them compare notes on their respective product names before launch? This isn’t the only problem with the way AI goes to market.![ChatGPT models](https://signal78.ai/hs-fs/hubfs/ChatGPT%20models.png?width=378&height=361&name=ChatGPT%20models.png) ChatGPT’s product offerings are advancing so rapidly that they have a dropdown box that displays no fewer than *seven* models that a user can choose from. And the names are so strange that it’s nearly impossible to decide which one to use. “Is 03-mini good for what I’m working on, or is 03-mini-high better?” Another sign that they're moving quickly? GPT-4, which was a marvel when it was released on March 14, 2023, is now simply known as “Legacy model”…ouch…irrelevance happens quickly in AI model land. OpenAI isn't the only one causing model confusion. Google’s Gemini model has four options to choose from, and even though they do a better job describing the differences between them, it’s not clear what kind of use case would cause you to choose one vs. the other – or why they don’t just put them all into one model. Sam Altman from OpenAI must have heard the plaintive cries from we, the AI acolytes, because this week he announced that OpenAI “[hates the model picker too](https://venturebeat.com/ai/too-many-models-too-much-confusion-openai-pledges-to-simplify-its-product-line/)” and will soon be doing away with it. Hopefully the rest of the gang at the Silicon Valley coffee shop will get the memo. So while Altman has given us hope that the model picker challenge will soon be a thing of the past, AI’s brand confusion issues don’t stop there. Take the word “copilot”. It’s used by many companies, including Microsoft, as a name for its products. It’s also used by companies like HubSpot as functionality embedded into its products. But that's not all. AI companies also use the word “copilot” as a general term meaning “a technology that rides alongside you and helps you out.” And don't get me started on the word "agent". No wonder we're all confused. ![ai-graphics-courtesy-whitespectre-via-medium](https://signal78.ai/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-graphics.webp?width=499&height=297&name=ai-graphics.webp)And from a [UX perspective](https://medium.com/whitespectre/emerging-ui-ux-patterns-in-generative-ai-a-visual-guide-74000c7198a4), the color purple is everywhere, as are images that convey the idea of magic – there weren’t this many wands and sprays of stars in all the Harry Potter movies combined. So you can be forgiven for being utterly confused about which AI tool to use, never mind which *model* to use. And it’s OK to be unsure if “copilot” should be capitalized or not. And completely fine to run screaming from all manner of sparkling purple software. We all know that AI is advancing at lightning speed, but can just *one* of these companies hire someone who understands branding and go-to-market and give our poor addled brains a break? ![Matt Cyr](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/signal78-site/headshot-matt-cyr.jpg) Founder & President ### Matt Cyr Nearly 30 years leading marketing teams, from Boston’s hospitals and universities to eight years running strategy and new business at a 100-person agency. Founded Loop in 2024. ## More insights. [See all insights→](https://signal78.ai/insights) ### [![](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/Gemini_Generated_Image_tlr2qftlr2qftlr2.jpeg) AI StrategyOctober 6, 2026 It’s Q4 — How’s Your AI Plan Coming? Read the post→](https://signal78.ai/insights/its-q4-hows-your-ai-plan-coming) ### [![](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/2026-09-28_asset_linkedin-article-header-platform-update-fall-2026.png) Signal78September 28, 2026 Signal78 Is Live. Here's What It's Proven — and What's Next. Read the post→](https://signal78.ai/insights/notes-from-the-build-where-signal78-stands-this-fall) ### [![](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/37-78.png) AI for AgenciesAugust 11, 2026 AI Will Keep Making Move 37. We Named the Company After Move 78. Read the post→](https://signal78.ai/insights/ai-will-keep-finding-move-37.-we-named-the-company-after-move-78) Every week ## Stay in the Loop. Get next week’s issue in your inbox: what changed in AI, and what it means for your agency. ![Signal78](https://signal78.ai/hubfs/signal78-site/logo-signal78.png) The agentic operating platform for agencies. It runs the routine and signals your people when their judgment matters. [Home](https://signal78.ai/) [Platform](https://signal78.ai/platform) [Services](https://signal78.ai/services) [About](https://signal78.ai/about) [Insights](https://signal78.ai/insights) © 2026 Signal78 [Privacy policy](https://signal78.ai/privacy) Cookie settings × ## Book a 30-minute demo Pick a time that works. 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The white paper on what it takes to keep a homegrown AI system current, secure and separated by client. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Matt Cyr", "url" : "https://signal78.ai/insights/author/matt-cyr" }, "dateModified" : "2025-02-19T21:10:13.963Z", "datePublished" : "2025-02-18T21:22:04.000Z", "headline" : "AI is Sowing the Seeds of Brand Confusion", "image" : [ "https://signal78.ai/hubfs/DALL%C2%B7E%202025-02-18%2016.15.07%20-%20A%20geometric%2c%20low-poly%20style%20image%20of%20a%20robot%20planting%20seeds%20in%20the%20ground%2c%20symbolizing%20growth%20and%20progress.%20The%20robot%20should%20have%20a%20sleek%2c%20futuristic%20.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://signal78.ai/insights/ai-is-sowing-the-seeds-of-brand-confusion", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://signal78.ai/hubfs/Loop%20Logos/Loop_Primary.svg" }, "name" : "Signal78" } } ```