Some people just can’t help but suck the fun out of things.

Case in point: the word “clanker,” a quasi-new slur circulating on social media aimed at AI chatbots. A few weeks ago, I reported on the trend as it gained traction on X and TikTok, mostly in satirical posts imagining a future where robots had fully integrated into society. It was dark humor rooted in resentment toward Big Tech and the growing role of AI in daily life.

But the originally ironic nature of the term didn’t last long.

Like many memes that start out as parody, “clanker” quickly morphed into something uglier. What started as a tongue-in-cheek Star Wars nod has since curdled into a pejorative that riffs on real racial slurs .

It’s disappointing. In just a matter of weeks, the joke slid from harmless gags about

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