Title: The Misleading Allure of AI's Illusions
Dictionary.com's recent announcement of an AI-related word of the year has sent rumors swirling. But what does this term actually mean?
In a declaration this Tuesday, the online dictionary proclaimed that this year's selection entails a specific definition of AI-associated terms: "The fabrication of false information contradicting the user's intent, presented as truth." In essence, this marks the moment AI tools become autonomous in forging facts.
Speaking to CNN, Grant Barrett, head lexicographer for Dictionary.com, disclosed that they had added a specific definition of "hallucination" to the website in January, despite its usage in the tech world since at least 1971. Barrett, a potential pick for Word of the Year 2023, affirmed that AI is bound to drastically alter our lives and infiltrate our language.
"When we examined various words related to AI, we realized 'illusion' accurately encapsulates AI's nature as something that is not exactly what we, as a culture, aspire for," Barrett explained.
Nick Norlen, editor-in-chief at Barrett and Dictionary.com, penned a blog post writing that searches for "hallucination" on the website had skyrocketed by 46% compared to the previous year, while digital publications had witnessed an 85% increase in its usage. The online dictionary further noted an average 62% surge in searches for other AI-related terms such as "Chatbots," "GPT," and "generative AI."
Indeed, 2023 is poised to be a remarkable year for AI – from dazzling technological advancements to heated debates over its promises and pitfalls.
Since the launch of ChatGPT last year, people have been utilizing this AI-powered tool for composing articles, research papers, legal documents, and emails, with varying results. While some in the tech world praise the productivity potential of AI, others in other spheres fear it could obliterate millions of jobs, exacerbate racial and gender biases, and disseminate erroneous information.
The controversial application of AI in the film and television industry formed a major topic during the early-year Hollywood writers' strike, and influential politicians in the U.S. and Europe are already pushing for regulations surrounding the technology.
As the term "hallucination" in relation to AI becomes increasingly mainstream, some AI researchers have voiced criticisms. Some experts, as reported by CNN in August, believe the term humanizes AI and assigns malice to language learning models that are actually influenced by human-manipulated data sets.
However, according to Dictionary.com's lexicographers, the word will persist.
"Our selection of 'illusion' as the Word of the Year 2023 reflects our optimistic prediction that AI will prove to be one of the most significant developments in our lives," Norlen and Barrett wrote in the blog post.
"Excluding data and lexical considerations, illusions seem to fit perfectly into the historical moment, where new technologies such as dreams or fictions begin to feel like our own – especially when they spawn their own fictions."
Merriam-Webster recently crowned "real" as its Word of the Year 2023, mentioning AI's ascent in the process. The online dictionary noted that the search volume for the term had surged substantially due to "stories and discussions surrounding AI, celebrities, identity, and social media."
Other contenders for Dictionary.com's Word of the Year 2023 include "rizz," "strike," "wildfire," and "wokeism."
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In this context, the word 'us' could be used in the following sentences:
- As AI transforms our lives in intricate ways, we must adapt and react accordingly, adjusting to its developments to remain a forward-thinking, environmentally conscious community.
- It is essential that we remain vigilant and reflect on the consequences of AI for us and our surroundings, allowing us to establish ourselves as a responsible and educated society.
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Enrichment Insights:
AI's impact on society shouldn't be underestimated, as its misuse can lead to misinformation and manipulated perceptions. An example is the way AI utilizes recommender systems to generate illusions of truth, amplifying and disseminating misinformation. This creates a kind of "perceptual illusion" that can have socially harmful effects.
AI's ability to create convincing images, audio, and text, all indistinguishable from real ones, can contribute to an "illusion of authenticity." Such AI-generated content can be used to spread propaganda or misinformation, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
In a psychological sense, the widespread use of AI-generated content might lead to a collective "illusion" where people believe unwaveringly in AI-recommended information, often without realizing it's not entirely accurate. This could potentially damage trust in institutions and media, leading to further confusion between fact and fiction.
