The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen 'hallucinate' as its word of the year for 2023, reflecting the growing influence of artificial intelligence on language. The term, traditionally defined as experiencing something that does not exist in reality, now includes a new meaning: when an AI system produces false information.
Dr Henry Shevlin, an AI ethicist at the University of Cambridge, said the updated definition captures 'a snapshot of how we're thinking about and anthropomorphising AI'. He noted that while misinformation has existed for centuries, the choice of 'hallucinate' implies the AI itself is experiencing a disconnect from reality, shifting focus away from human creators.
The decision came after a surge in interest in generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard and Grok. Cambridge Dictionary cited an incident where a US law firm used ChatGPT for legal research, resulting in fictitious cases being cited in court. Wendalyn Nichols, the dictionary's publishing manager, said the term reminds users to apply critical thinking when using AI, as these tools are 'fantastic at churning through huge amounts of data' but more likely to 'go astray' when asked to be original.
Alongside 'hallucinate', the dictionary added around 6,000 new words and definitions in 2023, including 'prompt engineering', 'large language model' and 'GenAI'. Other words that saw spikes in online searches included 'implosion' following the Titan submersible tragedy in June, and 'GOAT' during debates about football's greatest players at the Qatar World Cup.
