{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-stops-using-fruit-codenames-for-ai-models","json":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-stops-using-fruit-codenames-for-ai-models.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-stops-using-fruit-codenames-for-ai-models.md","slug":"meta-stops-using-fruit-codenames-for-ai-models","headline":"Meta stops using fruit codenames for AI models","summary":"Meta has internally decided to stop naming its AI models after fruit, according to a person familiar with the matter. The shift is described as a branding decision, as fruit-based codenames no longer align with the company's ambitious AI goals. The most recent model, Wonder Full, carried the internal codename \"Watermelon,\" while previous language and image models were known as \"Avocado\" and \"Mango.\"\n\nMeta declined to comment on the change. However, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and AI chief Alexandr Wang previously joked on the Cheeky Pint podcast that they had exhausted their list of fruit names. Zuckerberg stated, \"We're out of fruits,\" while Wang added that the only larger fruit, durian, was not a suitable choice. \n\nThis move follows a broader industry trend where companies are moving away from grocery-store names for more powerful AI systems. OpenAI reportedly used \"Garlic\" for a 2025 model, and Google released \"Nano Banana\" in the same year. More recently, companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have adopted names like Mythos and Astra to reflect the increasing power of their models.","keyPoints":["Meta stopped using fruit codenames for AI models due to branding concerns.","Wonder Full was internally called \"Watermelon,\" following \"Avocado\" and \"Mango.\"","Zuckerberg and Wang joked on a podcast that they ran out of fruit names."],"whyItMatters":"The shift signals a move toward more serious branding for frontier AI models, reflecting the industry's transition from experimental projects to high-stakes competitive products.","category":{"slug":"business","name":"Business & Funding","url":"https://digestai.news/category/business"},"entities":{"companies":["Meta","OpenAI","Google","Anthropic"],"models":["Wonder Full","Watermelon","Avocado","Mango","Garlic","Nano Banana"],"people":["Mark Zuckerberg","Alexandr Wang"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-11-05T04:35:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-11-05T04:35:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"businessinsider.com","title":"Source: Meta has decided to stop using fruit for its AI model codenames, as they didn't suit its lofty AI ambitions; its latest model was named \"Watermelon\"","url":"https://businessinsider.com/meta-will-stop-naming-its-ai-models-after-fruit-2026-11","publishedAt":"2026-11-05T04:35:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Meta stops using fruit codenames for AI models\", 5 November 2026, https://digestai.news/story/meta-stops-using-fruit-codenames-for-ai-models","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Meta stops using fruit codenames for AI models","datePublished":"2026-11-05T04:35:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-stops-using-fruit-codenames-for-ai-models"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}