You might not be familiar with the word “clanker.” Its roots come from the Star Wars franchise — in which a “clanker” is a derogatory term used to refer to droids, or robots — but it has entered the Gen Z lexicon as a blanket derogatory term for artificial intelligence (AI) and robots.
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 show that search interest for “clanker” rocketed this summer, especially in Australia, China and the US. I would not 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 has gained enough momentum that the kids have a slur for it — and it is showing no signs of slowing down.
Last week was rocky for the industry. A report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that 95 percent of firms surveyed have not seen returns on investments into generative AI. It expanded on earlier research from McKinsey & Co indicating that while nearly eight in 10 companies are using generative AI, just as many report “no significant bottom-line impact.”
Global tech stocks were shaken, but the volatility does not capture the nuances of the research or how early we are in the rush to implement the technology.
Consumer fatigue has long been mounting. Studies have found that putting “AI” onto marketing materials could actually turn off shoppers. Myriad public opinion polls indicate that people are increasingly concerned about the negative impacts of the technology.
Even in China, where government enthusiasm has made it harder to question the bullish narrative, not everybody is hopping aboard the hype train. Consumer traffic to DeepSeek has fallen precipitously since the reasoning model took the world by storm in January.
Not to mention that the pace of progress since the introduction of ChatGPT more than two years ago has stalled. DeepSeek has yet to release its R2 model, which had been expected in May. Its most recent updates have been incremental. The underwhelming reaction to OpenAI’s much-hyped GPT-5 release has emboldened many to loudly question how “intelligent” such chatbots actually are.
Inevitable bottlenecks in access to new data and computing power, the building blocks of AI, mean that the clip of truly wow-inducing technical breakthroughs would be harder to sustain in the near term.
In her book Empire of AI published in May, Karen Hao (郝凱倫) delivers a sharp teardown of the idea that the race to develop the technology is part of some inevitable, unstoppable evolution of humanity.
“Under the hood, generative AI models are monstrosities, built from consuming previously unfathomable amounts of data, labor, computing power and natural resources,” she wrote.
It does not have to be this way, she said, and more organized resistance from creatives, workers and environmentalists is likely on the horizon.
There is no doubt it has the potential to be transformative for many industries, but it cannot do so without public trust. Tech companies would be wise to get ahead of the fatigue by focusing on practical applications rather than trying to build God-like computer systems or applying the buzzword to everything.
Policymakers should not turn a blind eye to oversight until after it is too late and the collective ill-will becomes impossible to ignore.
Still, the reality is that none of the public backlash would slow the roll of tech companies and investors who have poured billions into the promise of AI changing the world like the industrial revolution did.
AI would not be taking over everything, even if it seems so at times. Do not just take my word for it. After the so-called GPT-5 launch “fiasco,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with reporters for a rare, wide-ranging interview.
“I think people will care more about human-crafted content than ever,” he said. “My directional bet would be that human-created, human-endorsed, human-curated content all goes up in value dramatically.”
He is correct. Many people are already fed up with the “clankers.”
Catherine Thorbecke is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia tech. Previously she was a tech reporter at CNN and ABC News. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Yesterday’s recall and referendum votes garnered mixed results for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). All seven of the KMT lawmakers up for a recall survived the vote, and by a convincing margin of, on average, 35 percent agreeing versus 65 percent disagreeing. However, the referendum sponsored by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on restarting the operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County failed. Despite three times more “yes” votes than “no,” voter turnout fell short of the threshold. The nation needs energy stability, especially with the complex international security situation and significant challenges regarding
Most countries are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with condemnations of militarism and imperialism, and commemoration of the global catastrophe wrought by the war. On the other hand, China is to hold a military parade. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Beijing is conducting the military parade in Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 to “mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.” However, during World War II, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had not yet been established. It
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
Many foreigners, particularly Germans, are struck by the efficiency of Taiwan’s administration in routine matters. Driver’s licenses, household registrations and similar procedures are handled swiftly, often decided on the spot, and occasionally even accompanied by preferential treatment. However, this efficiency does not extend to all areas of government. Any foreigner with long-term residency in Taiwan — just like any Taiwanese — would have encountered the opposite: agencies, most notably the police, refusing to accept complaints and sending applicants away at the counter without consideration. This kind of behavior, although less common in other agencies, still occurs far too often. Two cases
RSS