Collins Dictionary Names the Word of the Year

Technology continues to spread its influence in our lives, as evidenced by the new word of the year for 2023, which is “AI.” This abbreviation of artificial intelligence was chosen by the Collins Dictionary team, citing its significant rise in usage and cultural prominence.

According to lexicographers at Collins Dictionary, the term AI has experienced an unprecedented surge in usage, cementing its position as the dominant topic of conversation in 2023.

Collins Managing Director Alex Beecroft emphasized the pervasive influence of AI. He noted that this technology “has quickly become as ubiquitous and embedded in our lives as email, streaming or any other once futuristic, now everyday technology.”

BREAKING NEWS The Collins Word of the Year is… AI.

Find out more about #CollinsWOTY 2023 and see the full list here: https://t.co/gmsnCqA0yv#wordoftheyear #CollinsDictionary #AI #artificialintelligence pic.twitter.com/3HZotbGGnJ

— Collins Dictionary (@CollinsDict) November 1, 2023

According to Collins, experts analyzed the Collins Corpus, a database with over twenty billion words. The database includes written material from websites, newspapers, magazines, books, and spoken content from radio, TV, and daily conversations.

As for 2022, the Collins Word of the Year was “Permacrisis.” This term was defined as an extended period of instability and insecurity.

Other Contenders of Collins Dictionary

Collins has also identified other contenders for Word of the Year in 2023. These include:

• “Greedflation,” meaning using inflation as an excuse for raising prices to boost corporate profits
• “Deinfluencing,” referring to the use of social media to caution followers against certain products or lifestyle choices
• “Bazball,” referring to a form of test cricket where the batting side displays an extremely aggressive approach
• “Debanking,” meaning depriving an individual of access to banking services
• “Nepo Baby,” which is an individual, particularly in entertainment, whose career is thought to have been boosted by well-known parents
• “Semaglutide,” referencing a drug that curbs appetite and manages high blood sugar
• “Ultraprocessed,” which defines a food made through complex industrial techniques from various ingredients, sometimes lacking in nutritional value
• “Canon Event,” which is a crucial event for shaping an individual’s character
• “ULEZ,” which is an abbreviation for “ultra-low emission zone,” referring to a designated area permitting only low-pollution vehicles without charge

Greek Scientists’ Fastest Ever AI Processor Harnessing Light

Greece is also advancing in AI technology. The scientific team from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) has developed one of the world’s swiftest AI processors. Utilizing photonic neurons, this processor operates with light rather than electricity.

AUTH’s original photonic neuron architecture facilitates rapid algebraic operations, showcasing speeds of up to 50GHz during experimental demonstrations. This pace is twenty-five times faster than contemporary GPU processors, coupled with ten times less power consumption.

Miltiadis Moralis–Peios, a postdoctoral researcher at AUTH’s IT department, highlighted the growing global effort to construct computing systems utilizing light since there are physical limitations to microelectronics. By using light, integrated optical circuits are afforded swifter and less disruptive operations.