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New slang 'meat proxy' calls out workers who just copy-paste AI chatbot answers

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GoKawiil Brief

Developer Niklas Gruhn coined the term 'meat proxy' to describe coworkers who forward unedited chatbot responses instead of engaging with the content themselves. He wrote that receiving these raw AI outputs adds no value, since colleagues could simply query the AI directly. The phrase follows other recent slang like 'clanker' that reflects growing frustration with AI's creeping presence in daily work and communication.

Why It Matters

GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.

The trend points to a broader pattern researchers call 'cognitive offloading,' where people increasingly outsource thinking to AI tools rather than processing information themselves. If unchecked in workplaces, this habit risks eroding critical thinking and turning human communication into a hollow relay for machine output, undermining the very collaboration AI was meant to enhance.

Key Takeaways
Worth a Look

Cal Newport "Deep Work" (book) — If the article's warnings about "cognitive offloading" hit home, Cal Newport's Deep Work is the antidote on paper: a practical case for reclaiming focused, original thinking instead of outsourcing it to a chatbot. It's a great desk companion for anyone who'd rather be a thinker than a meat proxy.

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Source: futurism.com — Victor Tangermann, 2026-08-26

Published there as: “Your Coworkers Are Becoming “Meat Proxies” for AI”

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