AI Slurs Are Just the Start of the Backlash: Catherine Thorbecke

You may not be familiar with the word “clanker.” Its roots come from the Star Wars franchise , but it has recently entered the Gen Z lexicon as a blanket derogatory term for artificial intelligence and robots.

In viral TikTok and Instagram videos, people use it to express their frustration with everything from the AI slop that has taken over the internet to chatbot hallucinations to outright dystopian applications of the technology. Google Trends data shows search interest for “clanker” rocketed this summer, especially in Australia, China and the US. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up becoming a word ...