Dictionaries and lexicography in the AI era

Abstract This paper examines the implications of AI and machine translation on traditional lexicography, using three canonical scenarios for dictionary use: text reception, text production, and text translation as test cases. With the advent of high-capacity, AI-driven language models such as OpenAI’s GPT-3 and GPT-4, and the efficacy of machine translation, the utility of conventional dictionaries comes under question. Despite these advancements, the study finds that lexicography remains relevant, especially for less-documented languages where AI falls short, but human lexicographers excel in data-sparse environments. It argues for the importance of lexicography in promoting linguistic diversity and maintaining the integrity of lesser-known languages. Moreover, as AI technologies progress, they present opportunities for lexicographers to expand their methodology and embrace interdisciplinarity. The role of lexicographers is likely to shift towards guiding and refining increasingly automated tools, ensuring ethical linguistic data use, and counteracting AI biases.