Linguist Lyubov Goncharova, an associate professor at the Pushkin State Institute of the Russian Language, notes that in Russia the term “neural network” was declared the word of the year for 2023. This rise in popularity stems largely from growing interest in new technologies, even if fashion plays a role. A spokesperson for RT shares the perspective.
“You can observe a wave pattern in our culture: something becomes trendy, minds latch onto it, people want to be seen as part of the current trend, the phenomenon fades, and with it the term loses its appeal,” Goncharova observes. “I don’t classify this as inherently good or bad. The current fascination with new technologies is what drives it.”
In describing the word itself, the philologist explains that it has been interpreted by some as something impersonal or even at odds with human nature.
Earlier, Gramota.ru announced that the word of the year for 2023 is “neural network.” Experts based this choice on the volume of inquiries and assessments from linguists, sociologists, and other specialists. Other terms that gained attention included “GPT” and “Jipity,” as well as “basic” and “returners.”
In other recent developments, a publisher of the Oxford Dictionary named a separate term as the defining word of 2023: “rizz.” This reflects how linguistic trends can diverge across reputable language authorities and regions, highlighting the evolving conversation around technology, social behavior, and communication.