Algorithms turn internet slang into everyday speech

The brief

Linguist and creator Adam Aleksic explains how hooks, rapid delivery, visual design, and simplified narratives helped turn etymology into social-media content.

Platform moderation produces “algo-speak” such as “unalive,” showing how euphemisms created to evade censorship can move into classrooms and ordinary conversation.

Aleksic argues that creators are not simply training one personalized algorithm; they are adapting to shifting recommendation systems and incentives that determine what spreads.

The episode contrasts fleeting slang like “skibidi” and “rizz” with quieter changes to words such as “low-key” and “nonchalant,” which may reshape English longer-term.

A mock attempt to make a viral video turns “clanker,” a speculative slur for future robots, into a lens on AI, personhood, and online anxiety.

The larger warning is political: concise, confrontational clips can outrun nuance, while increasingly specific identities give platforms more metadata about their audiences.