Hallucinate, AI, authenticity: dictionaries’ words of the year make our biggest fears clear

In a world of chatbots and influencers, Merriam-Webster, Cambridge and Collins are in rare agreement

The moment we've all breathlessly waited for is finally here: dictionaries are announcing their words of the year. Last week, the US's most esteemed lexicon, Merriam-Webster, revealed its choice: authentic".

In its announcement, the dictionary said the word had seen a big jump in searches this year, thanks to discussions about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media". It makes a lot of sense - the concept of authenticity does, to use another buzzy phrase, sit at the intersection of so much of what's been on our collective minds.