Forget about the tech, OpenAI and Perplexity are brands too

AI companies keep forgetting they’re brands — and it’s costing them.

A week apart, OpenAI and Perplexity reminded everyone that in 2025, AI isn’t just about technology. It’s about brand. From user outrage over latest updates to theatrical headlines for attention — the fallout has been fast and public.

On one side: OpenAI replaced older GPT models like -4o and o3 with GPT-5 without warning on August 7, regardless of whether users liked it, causing outrage. The result: CEO Sam Altman promised to restore GPT-4o and increase GPT-5’s reasoning limits.

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