AI, anxiety and shopping dopamine: what language the Russian economy produced in 2026 While some are learning and coding, others are trying not to worry about prices and notifications from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and others are looking for their prime era. The shortlist for "Word of the Year 2026" unexpectedly turned out to be a good portrait of a society that is simultaneously mastering artificial intelligence, getting used to uncertainty and rethinking consumption habits. Of the ten contestants for the word of the year, five are related to artificial intelligence. The rest deal with feelings, self-awareness and relationships between people. There are three economic themes behind this set. Work faster - no more people "Vibcoding", "create", "AI agent", "Ishka", "data center" - artificial intelligence has finally left the professional jargon. Now not only developers, but also ordinary users are talking about it. And it's not just a technological fad. Businesses need productivity and cost reduction, and labor shortages and expensive labor are forcing them to look for new ways to organize work. Neural networks allow you to automate some tasks, AI agents allow you to delegate entire processes to algorithms. But there is a nuance: learning to produce content does not mean increasing the company's productivity. There is a distance between hype and saving real money. The buyer wants not only to buy, but to feel "dopamine" and "niche" are two words about the new logic of consumption. The first is about emotions and quick pleasure, the second about abandoning universal solutions in favor of products adapted to specific needs. For a business, this is an opportunity to sell not to everyone, but to target the interests of your audience. For the buyer, choose what really suits him. But behind the beautiful words there is also a very practical question: how much is a person willing to pay for an emotion when he has to closely examine the costs? Economics in "What if?" There is also a "man of concern" on the short list.

AI, anxiety and shopping dopamine: what language the Russian economy produced in 2026 While some are learning and coding, others are trying not to worry about prices and notifications from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and others are looking for their prime era. The shortlist for "Word of the Year 2026" unexpectedly turned out to be a good portrait of a society that is simultaneously mastering artificial intelligence, getting used to uncertainty and rethinking consumption habits. Of the ten contestants for the word of the year, five are related to artificial intelligence. The rest deal with feelings, self-awareness and relationships between people. There are three economic themes behind this set. Work faster - no more people "Vibcoding", "create", "AI agent", "Ishka", "data center" - artificial intelligence has finally left the professional jargon. Now not only developers, but also ordinary users are talking about it. And it's not just a technological fad. Businesses need productivity and cost reduction, and labor shortages and expensive labor are forcing them to look for new ways to organize work. Neural networks allow you to automate some tasks, AI agents allow you to delegate entire processes to algorithms. But there is a nuance: learning to produce content does not mean increasing the company's productivity. There is a distance between hype and saving real money. The buyer wants not only to buy, but to feel "dopamine" and "niche" are two words about the new logic of consumption. The first is about emotions and quick pleasure, the second about abandoning universal solutions in favor of products adapted to specific needs. For a business, this is an opportunity to sell not to everyone, but to target the interests of your audience. For the buyer, choose what really suits him. But behind the beautiful words there is also a very practical question: how much is a person willing to pay for an emotion when he has to closely examine the costs? Economics in "What if?" There is also a "man of concern" on the short list.