TikTok Skits Use ‘Clanker’ AI Slur to Mask Racism
▼ Summary
– Harrison Stewart created a viral TikTok skit using the anti-AI slur “clanker” to mock AI relationships but stopped due to racist comments directed at him.
– The term “clanker” originated from 1950s sci-fi and Star Wars as a derogatory term for robots and has recently been adopted in protests against widespread AI implementation.
– “Clanker” has gained significant online traction with over 2 million Google searches and hundreds of thousands of social media posts, including use by public figures.
– Short video skits on platforms like TikTok and Instagram use “clanker” and similar terms as pejoratives in futuristic scenarios where robots are integrated into society.
– Some skits use clankers as stand-ins for Black people, perpetuating racist tropes reminiscent of the pre-Civil Rights era.
The term “clanker” has rapidly evolved from a niche science fiction reference into a viral internet phenomenon, reflecting a broader cultural anxiety about artificial intelligence. This AI slur, popularized through countless TikTok and Instagram skits, now serves as a digital protest against the pervasive integration of automated systems into daily life. What began as creative social commentary, however, has taken a disturbing turn, with the fictional prejudice against robots being used to mask and perpetuate real-world racism.
Content creator Harrison Stewart, known online as Chaise, found himself at the center of this trend after a video he made in July went viral. In the skit, set in the year 2044, he portrays a disapproving father confronting his daughter’s robotic boyfriend, whom he derisively calls a “dirty clanker.” The video resonated with millions, earning Stewart the nickname “the clanker guy” from his growing fanbase. Yet by August, the 19-year-old Black creator made a public announcement that he would stop making such content. He explained that the joke and the audience reaction had become overtly racist, with commenters directing slurs like “cligger” and “clanka” not at the concept of AI, but at him personally.
The word “clanker” itself has a long history, first appearing in the late 1950s in the works of author William Tenn to describe fictional robots. Its modern usage as a derogatory term, however, is heavily influenced by the Star Wars franchise, where it was used as an insult against antagonist battle droids. Its recent surge in popularity is undeniable, generating over two million Google searches in just a few months and appearing in hundreds of thousands of social media posts. The sentiment even reached the political sphere, with Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego referencing the term in a post about legislation aimed at limiting automated customer service systems.
On video platforms, the backlash against AI typically plays out in short comedic sketches that imagine a future where robots are fully integrated into society. In these scenarios, a whole lexicon of slurs has emerged, including terms like “tinskins,” “wirebacks,” and “oil bleeders.” The problem arises when these fictional narratives begin to mirror historically racist tropes. Some creators are using clankers as clear stand-ins for Black people, recreating scenarios reminiscent of the pre-Civil Rights era. This allows them to present bigoted ideas under the thin veil of science fiction satire, a tactic that critics argue simply repackages old hatred for a new digital audience. The line between criticizing technology and promoting racism has become dangerously blurred.
(Source: Wired)