Dictionary.com Reveals an Extraordinary and Unprecedented Word of the Year

In a recent announcement, Dictionary.com revealed its surprising Word of the Year for 2023. Despite the prevalent association with artificial intelligence, the chosen word is “hallucinate.” Initially, this might not sound directly related to AI, as one would typically think of terms like “artificial” or “AI.” However, Dictionary.com explains that “hallucinate” holds significant relevance in the AI world and was purposefully selected.

Within the realm of AI, Dictionary.com defines “hallucinate” as “to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.”

This choice is particularly interesting given the widespread presence of AI throughout the year. In 2023, searches for “hallucinate” on Dictionary.com jumped by 46 percent, and its usage in the media surged by 85 percent.

Dictionary.com emphasizes that “hallucinate” stands out among AI-related terms because it doesn’t just describe how AI operates, but rather how it can go wrong, similar to cautionary tech terms like “spam” and “virus.”

The team of lexicographers anticipates that this word will remain relevant, at least for the near future.

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As we continue to grapple with AI-related terms, Mashable’s Cecily Mauran has assembled a comprehensive glossary of essential AI terms. Within this glossary, “hallucination” highlights the chance that AI, despite its appearance of omniscience, may not be as capable as it may seem.

Mauran explains, “[Hallucination] happens because generative AI models predict words based on probabilistic relationships to previous words. They lack an understanding of what they’re generating. This serves as a reminder that despite appearances, ChatGPT might simulate sentience, but it’s not.”