Alex Beecroft, the managing director of Collins, has elaborated on the choice of “vibe coding” as the 2025 Word of the Year, calling it a term that “perfectly captures how language is evolving alongside technology.” The selection highlights a profound shift in our relationship with artificial intelligence.
“Vibe coding,” which describes using AI to translate natural language into computer code, was chosen after lexicographers noted a “huge increase” in its usage since February. Beecroft emphasized that the term “signals a major shift in software development, where AI is making coding more accessible.”
The term, coined by OpenAI’s Andrej Karpathy, points to a future where the barrier to creation is lowered. Karpathy’s idea of being able to “forget that the code even exists” is central to the word’s meaning.
Beecroft framed the choice as one that celebrates the “seamless integration of human creativity and machine intelligence.” He stated that this trend demonstrates “how natural language is fundamentally changing our interaction with computers,” moving from rigid commands to intuitive conversations.
This optimistic take on AI’s creative potential is why “vibe coding” won out over more skeptical terms on the list, such as “clanker” (a derogatory term for AI) and “broligarchy” (a name for the tech elite), making it the definitive linguistic marker of 2025.