OpenAI Just Bought Chat.com, Domain Now Redirects to ChatGPT
Nov. 7, 2024Call it a strange or strategic move, but OpenAI has now acquired the chat.com domain name out of the blue. So, now, if you head over to the chat.com domain, it will redirect straight to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which sparks questions about this LLM’s future.
Folks over atTechCrunchreported the acquisition and also stated that an OpenAI representative confirmed it via email. Turns out, the chat.com domain is not new and has been out there floating on the internetsince September 1996.
Then, it was updated last year when HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah acquired it for$15.5 million. However, the domain will apparentlyexpire in September next year. A quick search onwho.isshows the entire history of this GoDaddy-based domain.
On another page of this story, Sam Altman simply tweeted the domain name to imply the acquisition. Well, well, “talk about brevity.” But, why?
The simplest explanation behind OpenAI acquiring chat.com is probably the fact that itdoesn’t want to misdirect its users or encourage knock-offsof any sort. Remember the recentJioHotstarincident? To avoid such mishaps, companies buy domain names that resemble their primary domain to avoid any future issues. Besides, you never know, ChatGPTcoulduse the chat.com domain as a different product-based platform altogether, in the future.
When browsing through Reddit, I also came across this 8-year-old post by@clonz44that revealed how heading over to ‘relentless.com’ redirects you to Amazon. And, guess what, Amazon still owns the domain. So, if a company has acquired a domain, they’re serious about it and are not going to let it go. Especially, since chat.com is a ‘GPT’ away from being the real thing.
I believe that such pricey acquisitions always have a bigger motive. While it may seem rather odd right now, you never know what it can lead to tomorrow. With that said, why do you think OpenAI has acquired chat.com? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below!
Sagnik is a tech aficionado who can never say “no” to dipping his toes into unknown waters of tech or reviewing the latest gadgets. He is also a hardcore gamer, having played everything from Snake Xenzia to Dead Space Remake.
