“AI,” the now-omnipresent abbreviation for artificial intelligence, is the marketing industry’s word of the year for 2023, according to the Association of National Advertisers.

This selection should come as no surprise given the technology’s unprecedented year. OpenAI lit the fuse in November of last year with the release of ChatGPT, causing an explosion of creative possibility and breakneck innovation. Those in the ad industry, from a litany of agencies to brands including Coca-Cola and Sephora, trained their sights on incorporating AI into their marketing strategies. And tech companies from Meta to Snap began offering AI-powered tools to court both clients and consumers.

While chosen from a list of ten finalists, this year’s “Word of the Year” faced little competition. “AI” garnered nearly 70% of votes cast by 271 members of the ANA—the widest margin in the annual event’s 10-year history. The runner-up, “purpose,” received a meager eight percent. The ANA staff decides on the ten finalists, and then surveys members to choose a winner.

Voting members pointed to AI’s pervasiveness in the marketing world as the main reason it deserves to be the word of the year. Other responses cited the technology’s polarization—that its benefits come with a host of short- and long-term risks—as well as its role in the development of new ad tools.

This year’s “Word of the Year” vote suggests a shift in where marketers are focusing their attention. Not only did “AI” beat out “purpose,” but it also ended a two-year streak in terms related to diversity, equity and inclusion. “Inclusion” and “diversity” won word of the year in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Marketers should be wary, however, of placing too much importance on the ANA’s vote. “AI” also won word of the year in 2017, only to be pushed to the background over the next several years. While the technology continued to be developed, it became overshadowed in the ad world by other innovations, such as TikTok and the metaverse. 

For AI, 2023 may very well outstrip 2017 in nearly every way, but the history of the ANA’s vote serves as a reminder that marketing is highly unpredictable. Let next year’s shortlisting begin.