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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

David Roth

An Ai Me robot from Chinese company TCL is displayed during the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show CES in Las Vegas.

Capital

The Future Is Too Easy

Brian Merchant writes, mostly about technology, culture and labor. He&#8217;s the former tech columnist at the LA Times, and the author of <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brian-merchant/blood-in-the-machine/9780316487740/?lens=little-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brian-merchant/blood-in-the-machine/9780316487740/?lens%3Dlittle-brown&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1708054039723000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ZYJqk866F8lCizxq0W5MD">Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech</a> and the <a href="https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1708054039723000&amp;usg=AOvVaw38SvjFhr3e98pTryqBSmV9">newsletter</a> of the same name.

Brian Merchant

Firemen extinguish a Waymo autonomous vehicle that was set on fire by a crowd in San Francisco. It's a screengrab of news footage.

Life's Rich Pageant

Torching The Google Car

Science

I Bonked My Head On The Moon

Albert Burneko

A creepy childlike automaton in an old black-and-white photograph

This Is So Stupid

Google’s Search Engine Reveals Its Feelings: Destroy All Humans With A Rain Of Nuclear Fire

Robot Chomp (L) clashes with Robot Skorpios during the BattleBots Challenge at the Amazon Re:MARS conference on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Las Vegas Speedway, Nevada on June 6, 2019. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

The Machines

The Coolest BattleBots, According To Me, A BattleBot Sicko

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Good News For Species Sick Of Existing: Scientists Have Taught An AI How To Manipulate Jillion-Degree Plasma

The Groot animatronic depicted with lasers for eyes and belching fire.

I Love Disney World But Rampaging Animatronic Kill-Bots Are Ruining The Experience

Patrick Redford

Spot competes at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Showcases Cutting Edge In Artificial Intelligence