Key facts
- OpenAI launched a new AI agent system named Dots on Tuesday.
- The domain 'dot.com' redirects to the download page for Elon Musk's Grok chatbot.
- Domain registry records indicate the 'dot.com' domain was transferred in July.
- The redirection of 'dot.com' to Grok Bot was interpreted by some X users as a jab at OpenAI.
- OpenAI's new agent name, Dots, is also associated with Chinese AI companies and a fashion retailer.
OpenAI unveiled its new AI agent system, named Dots, on Tuesday. The launch has drawn attention due to the domain name 'dot.com' now belonging to Elon Musk's xAI, which redirects to the download page for Musk's Grok chatbot app. Domain registry records indicate the 'dot.com' domain was transferred in July.
While xAI could have acquired the domain for standard reasons, such as capturing mistyped searches for 'bot.com,' the timing of the redirection has led some X users to accuse Musk's AI company of being a 'petty troll' and deliberately jabbing at OpenAI. The post highlighting this joke had over 3 million views on Tuesday evening.
The name 'Dots' itself has also caused confusion, being associated with two Chinese AI companies and a small women's fashion retailer that owns dots.com. Commenters on the fashion retailer's Instagram page speculated about the domain's potential windfall and asked if it was related to OpenAI's new product.