ChatGPT's paradox of choice - Axios

OpenAI has solved the problem of having too few AI models by releasing three at once: Sol, Terra, Luna. The names suggest someone in marketing decided branding them like celestial bodies would make the choice feel cosmic rather than profoundly confusing. ChatGPT Work, touted as an 'agent for multi-step tasks,' is the real news—as if the existing models were only capable of single-step parlor tricks. One can almost hear the product manager: 'Users love choice, right? Let's give them three models and call it unified.'

The paradox of choice is an old psychological chestnut: offer people too many options and they freeze, dissatisfied. OpenAI's answer is to offer three models and call it a unified app, which is like solving a buffet problem by adding three more dishes and renaming the cafeteria a 'dining experience.' These models are part of GPT-5.6, a version number that itself reeks of indecision—half a step after 5.0, as if they're not sure what they've built but need to ship something.

But the real kicker is the 'unified ChatGPT app' still forces you to pick from these three flavors. It's the same old story: more choices, less confidence, and a user base now trained to second-guess whether Sol is better at poetry or Terra for spreadsheets. While we dither over which celestial body to consult for our grocery list, the industry accelerates toward something that will make our choices irrelevant anyway. But hey, at least they're consistent in their inconsistency.