Clanker: A Word for the Machine
The author discusses the term "clanker" as a preferred alternative to "agent" when referring to machines. This choice has sparked debate, with some perceiving it as derogatory. The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing machines as tools without agency or moral status.
- ▪The term "clanker" was used by the author to create distance from machines.
- ▪Some readers reacted strongly, equating the term to a slur.
- ▪The author argues that machines should not be anthropomorphized as they lack agency and responsibility.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Clanker: A Word For The Machine written on May 26, 2026 In my last post I used the word “clanker” as an alternative to “agent” quite consistently and probably excessively. That choice ended up attracting a lot more attention than I expected in the Hacker News comment section of that post and a number of folks had a very strong reaction: to them it sounded like a slur, in one case even something adjacent to the n-word. That reaction surprised me somewhat, but it also made me realize that I should write down what I mean by the word for future reference. For me “clanker” is useful because it creates distance from the machine and that is a quality which is important to me. The machine is not a person, not a co-worker, not a friend, not a little spirit in the terminal.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Armin Ronacher's Thoughts and Writings.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Armin Ronacher's Thoughts and Writings
