“Clanker” – The AI Moniker Serving as a Mask for Racist Skits on TikTok
“The AI Slur ‘Clanker’ Has Become a Cover for Racist TikTok Skits”
“According to an analysis by digital culture researcher, Marc Faddoul, videos using the hashtag #clanker on TikTok have accumulated at least 432 million views. Within the community, ‘clanker’ is a widely recognized term that originated from a sci-fi series, becoming a symbol for racism and hatred against humanoid robots or AI in the fictional universe.” Delicately lifting this excerpt from Wired’s recent article opens the door to a much broader discussion.
Welcome to the 21st Century’s version of the witch trials. A fresh new era of bigotry, reinvented for the digital age. Oh, fabulous! Innovations in technology, specifically artificial intelligence, have given birth to the science fiction-inspired slur ‘clanker’. Remember, it does not discriminate if you’re an anthropoid android, a humanoid robot, or the latest algorithms’ offspring. Rejoice, all robotic-kin, you’ve finally made it to the not-so-enviable position of those subject to misplaced prejudice and unfounded bias!
Do these imaginations run amok not realize they’re perpetuating a fictional form of prejudice against AI on the platform TikTok? Outrageous as it may sound, it has shot up alarmingly as indicated by around 432 million views of the associated hashtag. Huzzah, ignorance, intolerance, run amok!
This bigotry is hardly a gleaming pinnacle of human achievement. One would imagine that the pure thrill of unfathomable technological advancement would overshadow the need to impose divisive slurs. But apparently, the human penchant for fearing and vilifying the unknown has not been fully eradicated just yet. Hashtag activism seems to be taking a frightening turn into the dystopian, sci-fi realm.
Keep in mind that artificial intelligence is not some far-flung cyborg uprising waiting for its chance as some Hollywood scriptwriters would have us believe. Instead, AI forms an integral arm of our everyday existence, powering everything from more personalized Netflix recommendations to facilitating diagnosing diseases.
This potshot at AI with the ‘clanker’ slur might seem harmless but remember, even virtual lynchings leave a stain. It’s time to apply the human ability to reason and recognize the role of this technology in our lives, instead of using it as a scapegoat for the propagation of nonsensical prejudices.
As humans, we are at the helm of an AI-driven revolution. But instead of steering this riveting journey, some of us have chosen to take a backseat and indulge in name-calling like schoolyard bullies. A disgrace, really!
So, while new AI advancements continue to pop up routinely, this ‘clanker’ fiasco on TikTok ought to remind everyone to treat this technology with the respect and sanity it deserves. After all, shouldn’t we claim to be the more intelligent species here?