‘Promoted outwards’: The year’s most indigestible jargon
Professionals love jargon and artificial intelligence has made the world of corporate guff even more horrific. Here are the worst words of 2025. We hope to never see any of them again.
The annual Eye-Roll Award highlights the year’s best/worst jargon. Bethany Rae
A rtificial intelligence has not just led to “slop” clogging up social media feeds around the world. The technology has led to a proliferation of overly complicated jargon we hope to never read or hear again.
The AI-related terms deployed last year ranged from confusing, “AI Maturity Matrix” and “AI Refinery”, to cringeworthy, “Client zero”. It’s enough to make a professional start hallucinating.
Edmund TadrosProfessional services editorEdmund Tadros leads our coverage of the professional services sector. He is based in our Sydney newsroom. Email Edmund at edmundtadros@afr.com.au
