How AI chatbots get their quirky names

Amazon’s AI assistant gets a canine-inspired name: Amazon has launched its latest AI shopping assistant, naming it Rufus after the company’s first office dog from its early startup days.

• The AI-powered Rufus is designed to answer customer questions about products and assist with purchasing decisions.
• Currently, Rufus can only respond via text and images, without voice capabilities.
• The assistant has already answered over 100 million queries since its launch in the US, India, and the UK.

The story behind the name: Rufus, a Welsh corgi, played a significant role in Amazon’s early history and helped shape the company’s dog-friendly culture.

• Rufus belonged to Susan and Eric Benson, two of Amazon’s earliest employees who joined the company in 1996.
• The dog became an integral part of the office environment, participating in meetings and even “helping” launch website features.
• Rufus lived to be 15 years old and inspired Amazon’s dog-friendly workplace policies, which continue today.

Tech industry’s penchant for quirky AI names: Amazon’s choice of Rufus follows a trend of tech giants giving their AI assistants unique monikers.

• Google’s Gemini, originally codenamed “Titan,” references the collaboration between DeepMind and Google Research teams.
• Apple’s Siri, acquired from another company, means “beautiful woman who leads you to victory” in Norwegian.
• Amazon’s earlier AI assistant, Alexa, was named after the ancient Library of Alexandria.

Dog-friendly tech culture: Amazon’s dog-centric naming choice reflects a broader trend of pet-friendly policies in the tech industry.

• Amazon currently has over 10,000 dogs registered as “working” at the company, with amenities like dog parks and treats available on campus.
• Google also welcomes dogs in its offices, referring to dog-owning employees as “Dooglers” and featuring a dog park called the “Doogleplex.”

Rufus’ legacy at Amazon: The original Rufus continues to be honored within the company, even after his passing in 2009.

• An office building in downtown Seattle, where the AI assistant was developed, is named the Rufus Building.
• Rufus was once featured on Amazon’s error page, alerting users when something went wrong on the website.

AI assistant capabilities and future prospects: While Rufus is currently focused on enhancing the shopping experience, questions remain about its potential integration with other Amazon services.

• Rajiv Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of search and conversational shopping, declined to comment on possible integration with Alexa.
• The teams behind Rufus and Alexa are currently separate, leaving the door open for future collaboration.

Broader implications: As AI assistants become more prevalent in online retail, the personalization of these tools through relatable naming and backstories may help companies build stronger emotional connections with consumers.

• The choice to name an AI after a beloved office dog humanizes the technology and ties it to the company’s history.
• This approach could potentially increase user engagement and trust in AI-powered shopping assistants.