Jokes about "clankers" have been on the rise in recent months, right alongside people's growing anxieties over AI's increasing presence in daily life.

In recent weeks, TikTok skits in which comedians play out a future where people are openly bigoted against robots and artificial intelligence have gone viral alongside the rise of the new slang term.

While most jokes hinge on lighthearted scenarios where parents deal with their child bringing home an AI lover, other jokes follow a pattern some are labeling troubling, as the slurs people are inventing for robots have started to borrow from existing racist language, including names like "George Droid" or "wireback."

Here's a recap of the online discourse debating whether these robophobic "anti-clanker" jokes are harmless satire or a repackaging of real-world prejudice.

What's a 'Clanker' And Where Did The Meme Come From?

The term "clanker" originated in the Star Wars universe as a robophobic insult for droids, inspired by the metallic clank of their movement.

It first appeared in the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando, when the character Delta 07, also known as Sev, muttered, "Lousy clanker." Director and producer Dave Filoni later brought it to TV in the 2008 The Clone Wars premiere, titled "Ambush," when clone trooper Jek barked, "Okay clankers, eat lasers."

The term spread online through Star Wars fan communities over the following years, particularly on the subreddit /r/PrequelMemes, with posts like Redditor u/TheProcess_7's 2021 meme "Did you just say the c-word?" earning over 12,000 upvotes in four years.

By 2025, TikTok users were applying "clanker" to real-world robots, from food delivery bots to AI assistants. Videos like TikToker @nicoholm13’s June 29th skit shouting at a delivery robot garnered 4.8 million views in a week, cementing clanker's new life as an internet "slur" beyond the Star Wars universe.

@nicoholm13 #fyp ♬ in the yo – STU

What's With Jokes About "Robophobia" and Anti-Clanker Racism?

Robophobia, i.e., the irrational fear of robots, has long inspired jokes online, tracing back to the 1997 Doctor Who episode "The Robots of Death." In more recent years, posts like this one from the /r/PrequelMemes subreddit in 2018 show Anakin Skywalker saying, "Ok clanker."

By mid-to-late 2025, creators like TikToker @lottidotti80 were posting TikTok skits imagining futures where people express exaggerated disdain for robots, as seen in the "NO SON OF MINE IS MARRYING A CHATBOT" video, which gathered over 700,000 likes in just a month.

@lottidotti80 #technology #genx #millennial #robot #chatgpt #fypシ゚viral ♬ Breathe (In The Air) [2011 Remastered Version] – Pink Floyd

Other creators joined the trend as it has continued garnering attention lately, framing robot rejection as a generational clash and often using AI boyfriends or household bots as stand-ins to imagine a future where humans cling to more "analog" prejudices.

Why Are People Mad About Anti-Clanker Skits On TikTok?

Some viewers argue that some of this anti-clanker humor has crossed a line, borrowing the structure of and even words from real-world racism.

TikTokers like @stanzipotenza have posted skits using terms like "wireback" and telling robots, "Go back to Dataville where you belong," amassing 400,000 views in two weeks.

Meanwhile, TikToker @samueljacobcomedy posted a skit in which he played a cop from 2050, calling a robot "George Droyd," (referencing the late George Floyd), generating 800,000 views and 130,000 likes since being uploaded.

The jokes, however, did not go over well with some users on X / Twitter. On September 2nd, 2025, X user @pome1obaby quoted a repost of the video, writing, "anti-ai yt people: what if we treated robots… like they're black." The post gathered over 1 million views and 76,000 likes in a day as it sparked heated debates about the topic.

anti-ai yt people: what if we treated robots… like they're black https://t.co/dEmFF5EYt1 pic.twitter.com/ja7VyoxzH9

— kay… ⫩ 🇵🇸 (@pome1obaby) September 2, 2025

Also on September 2nd, X user @bottleneckloser tweeted, "And everybody called me crazy. 'It’s not that deep' 'you're reading too much into it' I am a prophet," saying that they had already drawn the links between anti-Clanker jokes and real-world racism.

And everybody called me crazy. “It’s not that deep” “you’re reading too much into it” I am a prophet https://t.co/0T0Tf8B0zY

— Sabre (@bottleneckloser) September 2, 2025

What Are Some More Examples Of 'Robophobic' Memes?

@football_drew Robophobia running rampant in clanker society #robot #robophobia #fyp #fypage #ai #clanker #robo ♬ Dust Collector – ybg lucas

@invaderrsin can’t even board the plane #fyp #skit #invadersin #clanker #ai #cyberpunk ♬ Bell Sound/Temple/Gone/About 10 minutes(846892) – yulu-ism project

@groopsk1 good for nothing cl***ers #groopski #robophobic #futuretech #humanityfirst ♬ Bell Sound/Temple/Gone/About 10 minutes(846892) – yulu-ism project

@football_drew Robophobia running rampant in clanker society #robot #fyp #fypage #robophobia #ai #police #cops #robo ♬ Beethoven's "Moonlight"(871109) – 平松誠

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For the full history of Robophobia be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.