Algorithms Accelerate Language Evolution Through Censorship and Attention

Key Quotes

"You might think sticking out your gyatt for the rizzler is chopped, but “Algospeak” author Adam Aleksic says we should let Gen Alpha cook."

This quote introduces the central theme of the podcast episode, highlighting the emergence of new slang terms like "gyatt" and "rizzler" and framing them not as nonsensical jargon, but as a legitimate evolution of language driven by younger generations. Aleksic's perspective suggests a need to understand, rather than dismiss, these linguistic shifts.

"Yeah, so I start with the example of unalive and you can't say kill on TikTok your videos will be suppressed so instead many creators have chosen to say unalive instead, especially in mental health spaces where they need ways to share their stories and spread resources and this has started to really affect our speech offline."

Aleksic explains the origin of "unalive" as a direct response to algorithmic censorship on platforms like TikTok, demonstrating how language adapts to avoid suppression. This quote illustrates the core concept of algospeak as a tool for circumventing community guidelines, particularly in sensitive contexts, and shows its real-world impact on how people communicate even outside of these platforms.

"But in the book I argue that algospeak is in fact much more than that; it's algorithms are an underlying infrastructure, a medium shaping how all of our language evolves online right now."

Here, Aleksic expands the definition of algospeak beyond mere censorship evasion. He argues that algorithms are not just a barrier to overcome, but a fundamental force actively shaping the evolution of language itself. This perspective positions algorithms as a pervasive influence on how we communicate and create new linguistic forms online.

"The fact that the algorithm compounds natural human behaviors is new. The fact that it creates like these communities that feel like they have a space to use their words and then opens up those communities enough to allow those words to spread, all of that is still algospeak."

Aleksic points out that while humans have always had trends and fads, the algorithm's role in amplifying and spreading these linguistic phenomena is novel. He explains that algorithms foster communities where new language can emerge and then facilitates its wider dissemination, making this algorithmic amplification a key component of algospeak.

"I think algorithms are yet another inflection point. You know, it's also a story of power: who gets to control how language is reproduced?"

Aleksic draws a parallel between algorithms and historical communication revolutions like the printing press, identifying them as "inflection points" in language evolution. He frames this not just as a technological shift, but as a question of power, highlighting how algorithms influence who controls and shapes the reproduction of language.

"I think that these algorithms are pushing more consumer labels and language on us than we've ever had before... and now that's affecting your collective headspace and you you walk down the street and you see these, you know Dubai le bo boos and uh all that kind of affects our headspace and we feel this pervasive feeling of being watched and being sold to and it's exhausting and that's why we turn to absurdism."

Aleksic connects the pervasive influence of algorithms to consumer culture, arguing that they amplify consumer language to an unprecedented degree. He suggests that this constant exposure leads to a feeling of being "watched and sold to," which in turn drives a turn towards absurdism as a coping mechanism.