Dictionary.com has chosen "hallucinate" as its word of the year, highlighting the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. The word gained popularity due to its association with emerging technologies like ChatGPT.
In the context of AI, "hallucinate" refers to the generation of false information that contradicts the user's intention but appears to be true and factual. Dictionary.com added this definition in 2023.
According to the website, there was a 45% increase in searches for "hallucinate" compared to the previous year, along with a significant rise in searches for the noun form "hallucination." Overall, there was a 62% year-over-year surge in dictionary lookups for AI-related terms.
"Hallucinate" as the word of the year reflects technology's ongoing influence on social change and the contrast between our idealized future and the messy reality we actually experience," stated Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at dictionary.com.
According to dictionary.com, the word "hallucinate" has been chosen as the 2023 Word of the Year. The selection reflects the belief that AI will be a significant development in our lifetime. The editors stated that hallucinate is fitting for a time when new technologies can seem like dreams or fiction, especially when they create their own fictions.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged that hallucinations are a common issue with AI. He stated that no one in the field has yet solved the problem, and it remains an issue for all models.
Origin of the word "hallucinate"
The word "hallucinate" comes from the Latin word ālūcinārī, which means "to dream" or "to wander mentally." It has been used in the context of machine learning and AI since the 1990s, with one of the earliest documented uses dating back to a 1971 research paper on training computers to read handwriting.
Other words considered for word of the year
Dictionary.com considered several other words based on events from the year. The shortlist included "strike," "wokeism," "indicted," and "wildfire." Additionally, the Oxford University Press chose "rizz" as its word of the year.
AI has made a significant impact on the selection of Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023. The chosen word is "authentic," which gained popularity due to the influence of AI and social media. Merriam-Webster defines "authentic" as "not false or imitation" and "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character." It is also considered a synonym for "real" and "actual."
