Who decided that this sparkle symbol means “A.I.”? 

The sparkle symbol has been around for a long time, but it’s never had a clear, stand-out meaning, until now. In fast succession, Google Bard, Google Photos, Miro, Notion, Spotify, ChatGPT, Zoom, and many other software products started using the symbol in the same way: to signal A.I. 

Why? 

There’s no law that says they have to… no regulation or guideline to speak of, no committee of the elders. Just a new norm. It’s the invisible hand of social negotiation & imitation at play. 

We are social copying machines. When someone proposes a new symbol - when they say “X means Y” - we think “why not?” and go along with it. Then we use the symbol, and other people see us use the symbol, and they also think “why not?” And at some point, X really does begin to mean Y.

When that happens, it’s easier for companies to go along with the tide. It takes time, a bit of artistry, and a lot of luck to create a symbol that a) sticks, b) spreads, and c) signals a clear meaning. Why reinvent the wheel (or, in this case, the sparkle)? It’s much easier to speak the same visual language that everyone else is speaking, at least when it comes to basic functionalities. Brand identity is a different matter. 

So, that’s how we end up in a world where: house icon means home page; magnifying glass means search bar; three lines mean menu; gear means settings; pencil / pen means edit;  triangle means play; vertical bars mean pause, etc.

They worked because they worked. Not because somebody said they did beforehand.

Some of these symbols hint at their meaning (e.g., house standing for homepage). Others, not so much (e.g. three lines standing for menu). 

Many symbols don’t contain much intrinsic meaning, including the A.I. sparkle. The meaning they hold is the meaning we give them. Or, in some cases, the meaning they get from their context. (A gold star on a Kindergarten test means something completely different than a gold star on a general’s helmet). 

And, more often than not, that’s all the meaning they need to become powerful communication tools.