"Case in point: the word "clanker," a quasi-new slur circulating on social media aimed at AI chatbots. A few weeks ago, I reported on the trend as it gained traction on X and TikTok, mostly in satirical posts imagining a future where robots had fully integrated into society. It was dark humor rooted in resentment toward Big Tech and the growing role of AI in daily life."
"But the originally ironic nature of the term didn't last long. Like many memes that start out as parody, "clanker" quickly morphed into something uglier. What started as a tongue-in-cheek Star Wars nod has since curdled into a pejorative that riffs on real racial slurs. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed."
"It's disappointing. In just a matter of weeks, the joke slid from harmless gags about not wanting a robot to serve us popcorn at the Tesla diner to full-on skits mimicking Jim Crow-era scenes of racial discrimination. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. When it comes to online slang, this phenomenon isn't new."
The slang term 'clanker' originated as a satirical nod to Star Wars and targeted AI chatbots on platforms like X and TikTok. Originally used in dark-humored posts imagining robots fully integrated into society, the usage was rooted in resentment toward Big Tech and the expanding role of AI in daily life. The term quickly shifted from parody into a pejorative that echoes real racial slurs and discriminatory imagery. Harmless gags about robots serving popcorn at a Tesla diner evolved into skits mimicking Jim Crow–era scenes of racial discrimination. Multiple removed posts reflect the rapid spread and escalating severity. The trajectory illustrates how online slang can be co-opted into coded insults and normalized as hateful rhetoric.
Read at Mashable
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]