The year 2025 has witnessed artificial intelligence (AI) cementing its place in daily life, a transformation many compare to the advent of the internet or electricity. Alongside this technological leap, a peculiar and rapidly expanding lexicon has entered public discourse. Familiarizing oneself with this "word salad" is becoming essential.
The Power and Proliferation of Prompts
The humble "prompt" has evolved from a simple nudge to a detailed set of instructions for AI chatbots. The quality of this input is so crucial that it has spawned the job of "prompt engineer." Those exceptionally skilled at guiding AI are now called "algorithm whisperers."
Enthusiasts often scour the internet to collect effective prompts, earning them the moniker "prompt goblins." This trend gained momentum with tools like ChatGPT generating Studio Ghibli-style imagery and continued with Gemini's Nano Banana. Leading this charge are "promptfluencers," individuals who share their crafted prompts for others to copy and paste.
The potency of a well-framed prompt is remarkable. A single-sentence command can now generate a functional application. For instance, a request to track irregular meal timings resulted in a tap-to-record app within seconds, showcasing the direct translation of instruction into product.
The Dawn of the Agentic AI Era
We are transitioning into an era where prompts may become obsolete. The buzzword for late 2025 and 2026 is "agentic" AI—systems that plan, decide, and act autonomously. These systems perform "multi-step task execution," handling entire chains of actions from problem detection to resolution without constant human guidance.
This autonomy raises significant concerns. Without "human in the loop" and robust "guardrails" or "safety specs," agentic AI could act unpredictably. Malicious actors can hijack processes through "prompt injection," leading to security breaches. The anxiety surrounding such scenarios has fueled "doomscrolling," the compulsive consumption of alarming AI news and predictions.
Ironically, some of the most dire warnings come from industry leaders. Google's Sundar Pichai suggested a CEO's role might be among the easier jobs for AI to assume someday, while OpenAI's Sam Altman joked about being enthusiastic if AI could run his company better.
The Dark Side: Vishing, Washing, and Reality Confusion
The AI gold rush has led to "AI washing," where products are falsely marketed as AI-powered. A more sinister term is "vishing" (voice phishing), which involves using cloned voices to commit fraud and cybercrimes. Voice cloning technology, accessible for years through platforms like Lyrebird.ai, has made such scams alarmingly common and convincing.
This rapid technological and linguistic evolution is culminating in a state of "reality confusion," where distinguishing between AI-generated content and reality becomes increasingly difficult. As AI integrates into all technology, engaging with it is no longer optional for most people.
This analysis draws from the writings of Mala Bhargava, a veteran technology journalist who has been simplifying tech for Indian audiences since 1995.
