# Gen Alpha slang: 'That’s AI' means fake

> Kids use 'that’s ai' to call out fake products and claims
- Title: Gen Alpha slang: 'That’s AI' means fake · MadeForMums
- Summary: Kids use 'that’s ai' to call out fake products and claims Children describe things as 'ai' when they feel fake or copied, not about artificial intelligence
- Keywords: gen alpha, kids slang, fake products, ai slang, plastic term, knock-off toys, digital slang, Gen, Alpha, slang, 'That, AI'
- Source: MadeForMums — https://madeformums.com/news/family-news/thats-so-ai-the-new-gen-alpha-slang-term-you-need-to-know
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: gen alpha, kids slang, fake products, ai slang, plastic term, knock-off toys, digital slang
## What 'that’s ai' means
Gen Alpha children use 'that’s ai' to describe something fake, cheap, or too good to be true like knock-off toys.

> Your daughter saying 'that’s so ai' about a bootleg squishy is doing roughly what her grandparents did with the term 'plastic'
## Why kids say 'ai' for fake
Psychologist Ryan L Boyd explains it's semantic broadening, like how 'plastic' used to mean cheap or fake.

> The meaning of many words gets broader over time
## AI in kids' language
Children growing up with generative AI use terms like 'clanker' for AI-generated content.

> There's an assumption floating around that kids raised alongside AI will be easy marks for it
## Digital slang patterns
Gaming and social media create slang that moves quickly from online spaces to real conversations.

> Memes can turn a phrase into shorthand that makes perfect sense to children
## Is it widespread?
Parents report the phrase but there's no data showing how common it is among Gen Alpha children.

> It is worth stressing, though, that this is currently an anecdotal trend rather than a well-established piece of youth slang
## Why it might fade
Once parents use the phrase, the cool factor disappears as they joke about toys being 'ai'.

> Some jokingly telling children that an appealing toy they have spotted is ai as a way of saying they are not buying it
## Key takeaway

Children describe things as 'ai' when they feel fake or copied, not about artificial intelligence