US Edition'Clanker' Takes Root as the Internet's Slur for AI and Robots
AUG 5 – The term "clanker" has gone viral as a slur for AI and robots, reflecting economic anxieties and skepticism about automation, with millions of social media views and legislative attention.
- The term 'clanker' gained viral popularity in summer 2025 online as a pejorative for AI and robots replacing humans.
- The term 'Clanker' was first introduced in Star Wars media through the 2005 title Republic Commando, where it was used to refer to battle droids.
- TikTok videos and social media critiques like Nic’s sparked the term's rise, linking it to anxieties about AI's impact on jobs.
- Senator Ruben Gallego used 'clanker' to support legislation allowing people to avoid AI customer service amid 64% customer preference for humans.
- The spread of 'clanker' reflects growing cultural unease with technology, marking a linguistic shift targeting a mode of being rather than identity.
19 Articles
19 Articles
It's 2025, the year we decided we need a widespread slur for robots
People all over TikTok and Instagram are using the word "clanker" as a catch-all for robots and AI. Here's a deep dive into the origins of the pejorative and an explanation of why it's spreading.
NBC, Democrats Decry Made Up Word ‘Clanker’ as an Offensive Slur
NBC, Democrats Decry Made Up Word ‘Clanker’ as an Offensive Slur On Tuesday morning, NBC News published an article about the new internet trend where people were calling A.I. and robotic technology “clankers.” Instead of just leaving it at that, NBC pushed a narrative that “aimed to suggest” the term “clankers” was an offensive slur for its negative connotations to technology. Going as far as to associate it with slurs like the n-word. The word…
The 'Star Wars' Slur That Has Been Mainstreamed by Anti-AI Discourse
'Star Wars' has had a contentious relationship with artificial intelligences for a very long time—and now that we find ourselves staring down the barrel of generative AI, the galaxy far, far away has given us the surprising language to denigrate it.
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