Cambridge Dictionary announced its word of the year for 2023 this week, and we have AI to thank for its selection.
Cambridge’s word of the year is “hallucinate,” which in this context refers to when an artificial intelligence product, such as ChatGPT, gets confused and provides an incorrect answer.
Cambridge defines the word as “When an artificial intelligence (= a computer system that has some of the qualities that the human brain has, such as the ability to produce language in a way that seems human) hallucinates, it produces false information"
"The Cambridge Dictionary team chose to hallucinate as its Word of the Year 2023 as it recognized that the new meaning gets to the heart of why people are talking about AI," the dictionary said. "Generative AI is a powerful tool but one we’re all still learning how to interact with safely and effectively—this means being aware of both its potential strengths and its current weaknesses.”
The dictionary notes that sometimes AI’s hallucinations can seen as entirely plausible even though they’re factually incorrect or ultimately illogical. It also noted that hallucinations have already had real-world impacts. Specifically, it noted a case where a law firm used AI to conduct research, leading it to cite fictitious cases in court. Google’s promo video for Bard also made an incorrect statement about the James Webb Space Telescope.
In August, Collins Dictionary released a yearly infographic showcasing the year’s top terms for the dictionary. Its word of the year? AI.
