Chosen from a list that includes ‘greedflation’, ‘nepo baby’ and ‘deinfluencing’, use of term has quadrupled this year
The technology that is set to dominate the future – for good or ill – is now the word of the year. “Defined as “the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs”, AI was chosen because it “has accelerated at such a fast pace and become the dominant conversation of 2023”, the publisher said. The use of the word has quadrupled over the past year.
It was chosen from a list of new terms that the publisher said reflect “our ever-evolving language and the concerns of those who use it”.
The annual word of the year is selected by lexicographers monitoring a range of sources, including social media, according to the publisher.”, meaning food that is “prepared using complex industrial methods from multiple ingredients, often including ingredients with little or no nutritional value”, is listed, as is “” made the cut – the term meaning ultra-low emissions zone that refers to an area of central London in which more polluting vehicles are restricted.
Alex Beecroft, the managing director of Collins, said there was “no question” that AI had been “the talking point of 2023”. “We know that AI has been a big focus this year in the way that it has developed and has quickly become as ubiquitous and embedded in our lives as email, streaming or any other once futuristic, now everyday technology.”