What’s in a Byte? The Cultural Evolution and Psychology of AI Names

When we introduce a new entity into our lives, our very first instinct is to name it. Long before artificial intelligence began drafting our emails, diagnosing medical scans, or curating our playlists, we gave it names. From the monolithic HAL 9000 and the sardonic Marvin the Paranoid Android in science fiction to the friendly syllables of Siri, Alexa, and Gemini in our pockets, naming an AI is where technology transitions from a cold piece of hardware into a digital companion.