Collins dictionary makes ‘AI’ as the word of the year as Rishi Sunak’s AI global summit starts

The dictionary publisher Collins has named “AI” as its most notable word of the year.

The announcement comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosts the global AI safety summit at Bletchley Park.

The publisher said the use of the term has quadrupled over the last year, with managing director Alex Beecroft saying it had been “the talking point of 2023”.

“We know that AI has been a big focus this year in the way that it has developed and has quickly become as ubiquitous and embedded in our lives as email, streaming or any other once futuristic, now everyday technology,” Beecroft added.

The dictionary defines the term as “the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs”.

AI was chosen from a cohort of new words including “nepo baby” and “debanking”.

"Ultraprocessed" also featured among the nominees, mirroring the ongoing global move towards food with more nutritional value and away from meals that are industrially created such as crisps and other savoury packaged snacks.

During the selection process, lexicographers monitor the dictionary’s database as well as a range of sources, including social media, to collate the list of contenders.

The nominees are thought to represent the "ever-evolving language" and the top societal concerns of that year.

Last year, the title was awarded to “permacrisis” as it reflected the ongoing economic and political instability, whereas in 2022 “lockdown” was crowned with the label.