WorldAugust 23, 2026
hallucinated
huh-LOO-suh-nay-tid
Definition
In the context of artificial intelligence, to generate false or nonsensical information while presenting it as factual or authoritative.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'hallucinari', meaning to wander in the mind or dream. The term evolved into its modern psychological usage before being adopted in computer science to describe AI output errors.
In the news
The word describes how an AI program fabricated non-existent legal case law, which was then erroneously submitted to a court by an attorney. It highlights the dangers of relying on machine-generated output without verification.
Letters to the Editor: Insurance case involving phony, AI-generated law is ‘beyond comprehension’
Read the full article ↗Los Angeles Times