AI slurs are just the start of the backlash

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.

- CATHERINE THORBECKE

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 U.S. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up becoming a word of the year for one of the major dictionaries.

Global backlash against AI has simmered within pockets of society, but it's now gained enough momentum that the kids have a slur for it. And it's showing no signs of slowing down. A report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that 95% of firms surveyed have not seen returns on investments into GenAI. It expands on earlier research from McKinsey, indicating that while nearly eight in 10 companies are using GenAI, just as many report "no significant bottom-line impact."