AI Distrust Word ‘Clanker’ Narrowly Misses Top Spot to ‘Vibe Coding’ in 2025 List

In a symbolic clash of techno-optimism versus techno-skepticism, “vibe coding” has been chosen as Collins Dictionary’s 2025 word of the year, narrowly edging out the popular derogatory term “clanker.” This year’s list reflects a global conversation grappling with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
“Clanker,” which was popularized by the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, is used as a derogatory term for computers, robots, and AI. Its inclusion on the shortlist highlights a growing public frustration and distrust of AI chatbots and platforms, which have become ubiquitous. The word’s viral spread on social media cemented its status as a key cultural marker.
On the other end of the spectrum is the winner, “vibe coding.” This term represents the promise of AI, describing a process where natural language is used to generate computer code, making development more intuitive. It was first coined by OpenAI’s Andrej Karpathy to describe a method where the “vibe” of an idea is all that’s needed to create software.
The tension between these two terms defined the 2025 list. While “vibe coding” points to a future of seamless human-machine collaboration, “clanker” voices the resistance and fear accompanying that change. Both words saw a massive increase in usage according to the 24-billion-word Collins Corpus.
The rest of the list also touched on themes of technology and modern anxiety. Terms like “biohacking” (altering one’s body for longevity) and “broligarchy” (the tech elite) further demonstrate that our relationship with technology—from our bodies to our power structures—is the defining linguistic story of the year.