Collins Dictionary has announced ‘AI’ as its 2023 word of the year. This selection highlights the increasing prominence and impact of artificial intelligence in various spheres of life.
According to World Economic Forum, ‘AI’, short for artificial intelligence, is defined as the modeling of human mental functions by computer programs. The choice of ‘AI’ as the word of the year comes in the wake of the widespread attention garnered by generative AI software like ChatGPT since its launch in late 2022. The growing interest in AI is reflected in the surge of online searches for the term, as indicated by Google Trends data.
AI’s significance is not just limited to public curiosity but extends to its market growth potential, which is projected to grow by nearly 800% to around $1.8 trillion by 2030. Despite AI’s longstanding history, its rapid development has brought to the fore various issues such as legislation, ownership, and copyright, which are still being navigated by industries and lawmakers. The European Union is in the process of preparing legal frameworks to regulate AI, while the United States recently finalized its AI Bill of Rights.
The future of AI and its implications for jobs, security, and the economy will be a key focus at the upcoming World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Summit. The summit, scheduled for 13-15 November, will bring together over 200 leaders in the field of AI to deliberate on these critical issues.
Collins Dictionary also highlighted other significant words in their top 10 list for 2023. These include terms like ‘greedflation’, which refers to the practice of using inflation as an excuse to artificially hike prices for increased corporate profits, and ‘deinfluencing’, a term used in social media contexts to discourage certain consumer behaviors or product choices.
Other notable words in the list are ‘nepo baby’, originating from ‘nepotism’, and referring to individuals who gain career advantages from their famous parents. The term gained popularity in 2022 despite being a longstanding phenomenon in the entertainment industry. ‘Ultra-processed’ also made the list, highlighting concerns over food made with industrial methods and unhealthy ingredients, which have been linked to health risks like premature death and colon cancer.
‘ULEZ’, an abbreviation for ultra-low emission zone, and ‘canon event’, signifying a pivotal moment in one’s character or identity formation, were also among the top words. The cricket term ‘bazball’, denoting an aggressive batting style, rounds out the list.
These selections reflect a diverse range of societal, environmental, and technological concerns and interests. With the announcement from Collins Dictionary, attention now turns to other major dictionary publishers like the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Cambridge Dictionary for their respective choices for the 2023 word of the year.