• A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      46
      ·
      5 days ago

      Clanker is a slur for robots and artificial intelligence software. The term has been used in Star Wars media (…). In 2025, the term became widely used to discuss distaste for machines ranging from delivery robots to large language models.

        • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          edit-2
          4 days ago

          a slur for robots

          It gave me pause too. But, wikipedia again:

          A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something.

          Not sure that’s what you meant though.

        • Melmi@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          19
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          It is explicitly a slur. That’s the whole joke. People use it in analogy to the n-word all the time.

          • Sv443@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            10
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            once you admit it’s a slur and let the companies categorize it as such you can’t go back. It’s derogatory, sure, but not a slur imo.

        • stray@pawb.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          I disagree so strongly that I actually won’t say the word despite digital people not even existing to be hurt by it. Not slurs against orcs or elves either. Gives me the same feeling as IRL slurs.

    • zqwzzle@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      4 days ago

      A derogatory term that some have started using to refer to gen AI slop and the like.

    • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      5 days ago

      AI bots, but only they get to use it with a hard r. These clankas can be helpful, but they annoy me most days

    • blargh513@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      4 days ago

      Ai is a tool, not a sentient being. When it provides shitty output either it was a poorly designed tool or it was misused.

      So tired of people hating on it with the idea that it will go away. It isn’t going away.

      Learn how to deal with it.