AI winter

By analogy to the idea of a nuclear winter.

AI winter (plural AI winters)

1. (artificial intelligence, economics) A period of reduced funding and interest in artificial intelligence research.
   • 1985, AI Trends, volumes 2-3, page 3:

     A lot of people are talking about — actually have been talking about — a particular scenario of the artificial intelligence industry known as the "AI Winter."

   • 2016 July 17, John Markoff, “Artificial Intelligence Swarms Silicon Valley on Wings and Wheels”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Their products offered little business value at the time, and so the commercial enthusiasm ended in disappointment, leading to a period now referred to as the “A.I. Winter.”