Internet's New AI Slur: 'Clanker' Reflects Growing Public Disdain
The burgeoning presence of artificial intelligence in daily life has sparked a new linguistic phenomenon: the emergence of derogatory terms aimed at the technology and its users. Among these, “clanker,” an insult with roots in the Star Wars universe, has seen a notable resurgence, with Google Trends data indicating a significant spike in searches for the term in early June. This digital revival reflects a growing undercurrent of public skepticism and, at times, outright disdain for AI.
Online platforms, particularly TikTok and X, have become fertile ground for this new lexicon. One TikTok user humorously envisioned a “clanker rally” in 2088, while another X user, responding to a video of Elon Musk’s Optimus robot serving popcorn, quipped, “Keep your oily soulless clanker hands away from my delicious human food.” The term has even permeated political discourse. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently leveraged the insult on X, announcing a new bill designed to ensure constituents wouldn’t be forced to interact with a “clanker” when attempting to reach a human representative. This political adoption underscores how deeply this sentiment is resonating with segments of the population.
Beyond “clanker,” a range of other pejoratives is surfacing, often targeting specific AI systems or their adherents. Discussions surrounding xAI’s Grok chatbot, for instance, have spawned terms like “Grokkers,” “Groklins,” and “Grocksuckers.” Similarly, on TikTok, individuals perceived as overly reliant on ChatGPT have been dubbed “sloppers.” These coinages highlight a societal impulse to categorize and, in some cases, diminish those perceived as too closely aligned with or dependent on artificial intelligence.
This proliferation of AI-related slurs is not merely a fleeting online trend; it mirrors a deeper societal unease. According to the Pew Research Center, concerns about AI among U.S. adults have steadily intensified since 2021. More than half of Americans, precisely 51%, report feeling more apprehension than excitement regarding the technology’s rapid advancement. Their worries span a broad spectrum, from the potential for AI to displace human jobs to the emerging phenomenon of chatbot addiction. The creation and popularization of these derogatory terms can be seen as a manifestation of these underlying anxieties, providing a linguistic outlet for frustration and fear.
However, the adoption of such terms is not without its critics. Some observers contend that embracing new slurs, even those directed at non-human entities, can be problematic, particularly when they inadvertently echo existing racial slurs or perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Others express a more personal concern, fearing that the current wave of anti-AI sentiment might lead to future regrets. As one X user poignantly remarked, they wouldn’t want to face a robot in fifty years and have to explain that “it was a different time,” suggesting an awareness of the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence and the lasting impact of the language we use to define it.