Breaking 2/16/2011: Watson beats humans in Jeopardy, and Ken Jennings welcomes our new computer overlords; click here for the latest details!
About
“I, for one, welcome our new X overlords” is a popular snowclone template where X in the phrase refers to (often in a humorous or overgeneralized fashion) any powerful entity that could potentially take over humanity. Sometimes that entity is a government or corporate power, but has also been seen applied to kittens walking on their hind legs as farcical declaration of rapid evolution.
In discussion forums and chatrooms, the phrase has been also used to express mock submission towards an obsessively controlling individual for the sake of humor.
Origin
Childhood’s End
Arthur C. Clark’s 1953 sci fi novel Childhood’s End revolves around an alien race known as the Overlords in charge of overseeing the evolution of the human race. This is one of the first occurrences in which the term “overlord” was used to refer to an alien race conquering humanity, but it is not where the phrase originated.
The 1977 film adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells short story Empire of the Ants (starring Joan Collins) is allegedly the origin of the phrase “I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords”.
The Simpsons
The quote gained popularity after the 1994 episode of The Simpsons, “Deep Space Homer”, when news announcer Kent Brockman believes the Earth to be under invasion by giant space ants. Fearing for his life, he announces his willingness to collaborate with the insectoid invaders:
Excerpt from AllExperts:
“One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I for one welcome our new insect overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves.”
Jeopardy
In February of 2011, a computer named “Watson” starred as a contestant on the trivia game show Jeopardy, and managed to dominate its human competitors. During the final show on 2/16, Ken Jennings wrote “I for one welcome our new computer overlords” below one of his written answers:
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Spread
Because use of the phrase began in popular mass media (film and television) tracing the use online is a moot point. Familiarity with the phrase generally stems from exposure to The Simpsons episode from 1994 rather than exposure to the phrase online. The following is just a sample of how the phrase has been adapted to new contexts.
On Reddit.
I, for one, welcome our new chicken overlords.
I, for one, welcome our new octopus overlord.
On Wired:
I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
On National Public Radio:
I for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
Lawyers Guns and Money:
I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords.
Geeks Are Sexy:
I, for one, welcome our new quadrotor overlords.