Nah it makes sense. They know their AI is second rate at best. Cortana implies 26th century excellence. If the reality is a step back (and we all know it’s several), then “haha Cortana dumb” memes would sweep the internet. They would have to rebrand anyway. If anything it was smart to rip off the band aid early.
Since I never played Halo, it makes me think of Cordova, and implies 10th-century Islamic Spain.
No, it doesn't make sense. Cortana was a fantastic name for an assistant, and synergistic with Halo at the time.
The low quality of the voice assistant was unfortunate, but the naming was perfect.