OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted on X that the company's next AI model could be named “Goblin,” referencing a viral quirk where OpenAI's models starting with GPT-5.1 began frequently using goblins, gremlins, and similar creatures in their metaphors. The naming reference follows a report titled “Where the Goblins Came From” that OpenAI published on April 29, which attributed the behavior to training for personality customization (especially a “nerdy” style) where metaphorical and creature-based language was unintentionally rewarded. Altman also said he ran multiple Codex coding tasks in parallel while away from his desk and returned at his child's naptime to find every task already completed, describing the experience as making him “very optimistic for the future” of autonomous AI agents. The CEO also described OpenAI's current model as an “autistic genius,” framing it as powerful but uneven, capable of outperforming humans on technical tasks while sometimes stumbling on tone.
