Overview

• The epithet has exploded across TikTok, X, Instagram and Reddit, with Gen Z and Gen Alpha driving posts that have drawn hundreds of millions of views.
• U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego used the term in July while promoting a bill to regulate the use of AI chatbots in customer service roles.
• The rhetoric has appeared at real‑world demonstrations, including August protests against AI in San Francisco and London, with organizers citing growing harms.
• Many AI‑friendly communities have reclaimed the insult through memes and merch, adopting tags like “clanker lover” and selling themed items on platforms such as Etsy.
• Linguists and creators note both the term’s Star Wars origins and concerns that its usage echoes real‑world slurs, even as skits and series satirize dystopian human‑AI relationships.