They define it as «digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence,» which fits the bill quite nicely.
— It’s such an illustrative word, said Greg Barlow, Merriam-Webster’s president, in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the announcement. — It’s part of a transformative technology, AI, and it’s something that people have found fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous.
The original word in the 1700s was intended to mean «soft mud,» writes the dictionary, and came to mean «food waste» in the 1800s, before settling on the modern meaning as «rubbish» or «a product of little or no value.»
But mass-produced videos of AI cats doing silly little things? A lot of people actually like those, and they are in everyone’s feeds right now.
Read more: Merriam-Webster’s announcement, details from The Associated Press. Writeups by Engadget, Ars Technica, The Verge.