The Pantone Color of The Year for 2024 is most likely to be a shade of Sage Green – according to up-to-the-minute analysis by AI.

Gender neutrality, warmth, versatility and a link to nature will be key factors in deciding the shade, usually announced at the start of December.

The research was carried out by homes & interiors PR specialists jwc, in conjunction with Google’s AI bot Bard, which uses real-time data to make decisions.

jwc founder John Warburton, said: “The results were mind-boggling.

“We asked Bard to give 100 predictions for the CoTY 2024, along with the reasons for choosing.

“We collated the data and green shades were in the majority by quite a margin – just over 29% of the total result.

“These were closely followed by shades of blue, browns, pinks and orange, with red and yellow appearing the least favourites.”

“We can’t say for sure what the colour is going to be, but what is really interesting is that the AI has identified three particular values as having the strongest bearing on what it things will influence Pantone’s choice.”

These key elements are:

  • Gender-neutral colours: All of the guesses are gender-neutral colours. This suggests a growing trend towards inclusivity and diversity.
  • Versatile colours: All of the guesses are versatile colours that can be used in a variety of settings and applications. This suggests a desire for practicality and flexibility.
  • Natural colours: Many of the guesses were natural colours – those found in flora and fauna – suggesting a growing interest in nature and sustainability.

John added: “We then asked Bard which two shades were most likely to be chosen, to which it responded with Sage Green and Cobalt Blue. We then used another AI – Midjourney to create images illustrating the colour in an abstract and a lifetysle setting.”

The AI favoured Sage Green, for being a: “calming and restorative colour, associated with nature and the outdoors. It is also a versatile colour that can be used in a variety of settings, from homes and offices to fashion and beauty.”

Cobalt Blue, it said is a: “Bold and eye-catching colour that is both sophisticated and versatile. It is a colour that can be used to make a statement, but it can also be used to create a sense of calm and tranquillity.”

John added: “We decided to use Google Bard, as opposed to ChatGPT, because Bard has access to all current data and works in real time, whereas ChatGPT only has data up to 2022.”

The question posed 100 times was: ‘Pantone are due to announce their colour of the year for 2024 in December. Using what you understand about colour trends, make a guess at what Pantone Colour of the Year 2024 might be – and explain why.’

Here are the main colours returned from the research, arranged in order of frequency:

Percentage of shade frequency:

green 29.17%
blue 16.67%
brown 12.50%
orange 16.67%
grey 4.17%
pink 8.33%
purple 4.17%
red 4.17%
yellow 4.17%

Pantone-style Sage Green images created by AI Midjourney