# Is it possible to be racist against AIs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 13, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946 "2025-10-13T23:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/61 "2025-10-14T15:51:49Z")
I said ignorance was only part of it. Using it despite how it exploits others falls into the “greed” category. It is like buying items that are created by close-to-slave (or even just slave) labor. You can either not know how the item is created (ignorance), not care that the item because of slave labor is cheap (greed), or both. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/62 "2025-10-14T15:57:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It is like buying items that are created by close-to-slave (or even just slave) labor. You can either not know how the item is created (ignorance), not care that the item because of slave labor is cheap (greed), or both. Sure, but as we just established, AI are not persons, so using the product of their “labor” is hardly slavery. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/63 "2025-10-14T16:01:10Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Is that a typo? You absolutely cannot be racist (or show any sort of bigotry) to a stapler or a baked potato. You can’t _be_ racist to a baked potato, but you can _act_ racist to a baked potato. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/64 "2025-10-14T16:01:14Z")
That was just an example to show how something can be ignorant, greedy or both. In the case of AI images, writings, voices and mannerisms are stolen to give people cheap entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/65 "2025-10-14T16:02:26Z")
Please give an example of someone acting racist towards a baked potato. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/66 "2025-10-14T16:08:58Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Something that comes up a lot in games (be they tabletop or many genres of video games with RPGs and 4X being the biggest) is the use of “race” or sometimes “man” as a descriptor of other sentient species. And of course “race” also had a broader meaning once. When Darwin wrote of “the preservation of favoured races” he was talking about species (though of course it’s often used by Creationists to show that evolution is racist). And another “of course” is that if the different sentient species in fantasy are capable of having fertile offspring, yet differ substantially in physical traits…that _would_ meet the modern scientific definition of race. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/67 "2025-10-14T16:09:15Z")
“Hey, you! Yeah, I’m talking to you, you dumb spud! I’m going to eat you, and it’s better than you people deserve!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/68 "2025-10-14T16:13:00Z")
Yes, I can acknowledge stupid people can say stupid things that make no sense whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/69 "2025-10-14T16:14:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In the case of AI images, writings, voices and mannerisms are stolen to give people cheap entertainment. For a _very_ loose definition of “steal”, maybe. About as loose as the definition of “racist” that allows you to be racist against AI 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/70 "2025-10-14T16:23:56Z")
Not that simple, not that loose, and it certainly involves stealing on many levels. Here is one of _many_ articles about the creation, use and misuse of AIs: [15 Dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Built In](https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/risks-of-artificial-intelligence) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/71 "2025-10-14T16:42:10Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > What about those who just use it because it’s a neat tool and not because they are ignorant or greedy? That’s a completely unrelated issue that has nothing to with the OP. Whether or not it’s ethical to think more or less of _someone_ based on their use of AI, it’s 100% definitely not _racist_ towards the AI itself. Its completely and utterly impossible to be racist towards an AI or any other inanimate object. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/72 "2025-10-14T16:44:36Z")
In that case, I apologize for participating in the diversion. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/73 "2025-10-14T16:47:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If I started a thread titled “Is it possible to be racist against toaster ovens?” in Great Debates, what kind of responses do you think I would get…if the thread wasn’t moved (or even closed) by the moderators? Does anyone want toast? 🙂 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LRq_SAuQDec/maxresdefault.jpg "Does Anyone Want Any Toast? | Red Dwarf | BBC") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec&t=0.4) Red Dwarf dealing with Talkie Toaster. > **Lester:** we want no muffins, no toast, no teacakes, no buns, no baguettes, or Bagels, no crumpets, no pancakes, no potato cakes, and no hot cross buns, and definitely: no smegging Flapjacks!! > > **Talkie Toaster:** … Aaaah! So you’re a waffle man!!! “I toast, therefore I am!” ---
**Author:** ![StringsandHammers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stringsandhammers/32/17933_2.png) [@StringsandHammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StringsandHammers)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/74 "2025-10-14T16:48:49Z")
I think a lot of the fear of AI stealing/replacing jobs is completely overblown. Sure a lot of people will lose their jobs but a lot of others will make massive fortunes and quite a few other people will be afforded comfortable middle class jobs because of AI. This always happen when new breakthrough in technology are developed like the locomotive, the cotton gin, and home/office computers. I remember life before the internet and office/home computers, there was a widespread fear that 1 computer could put potentially hundreds of people out of work, which actually happened but what also happened are entire new sectors of the economy were created seemingly overnight that now employs hundreds of millions around the world. Also “No” you can’t be racist against AI, you can only be racist against robots for like reasons… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/75 "2025-10-14T17:15:17Z")
What all of you are underscoring is that if AIs become sentient we’re going to need a whole mess of new words, because the old ones will just sound stupid and the AIs will laugh at us. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/76 "2025-10-14T17:59:54Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Is that a typo? You absolutely cannot be racist (or show any sort of bigotry) to a stapler or a baked potato. Of course you can. It’s absurd to suggest that you can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/77 "2025-10-14T18:09:18Z")
It’s all just part of the act. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/78 "2025-10-14T18:26:47Z")
Qqqqll ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/79 "2025-10-14T18:32:15Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Qqqq This was AI having an opinion on the matter. And by AI I mean my phone left unlocked in my pocket with the SDMB page open;) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946/80 "2025-10-14T18:55:35Z")
> [@StringsandHammers](#): > > This always happen when new breakthrough in technology are developed like the locomotive, the cotton gin, and home/office computers. I remember life before the internet and office/home computers, there was a widespread fear that 1 computer could put potentially hundreds of people out of work, which actually happened but what also happened are entire new sectors of the economy were created seemingly overnight that now employs hundreds of millions around the world. You have a point, but the trend in the US for decades has been toward wage suppression and techno-feudalism, and I don’t see that changing because of a new technology. It’s impossible to guess how AI will shift the jobs landscape, but if history is any indicator it won’t be toward a more just distribution of wealth and better jobs for everyone. AIs aren’t sentient, so I reject that you can be racist against them. My real problem is with the unchecked greed of corporations, and since the US has decided corporations are people, I suppose I’m guilty of hate speech. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-against-ais/1023946.md?page=5)