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Blood in the Machine

Brian Merchant
Google
Enshittification
Artificial Intelligence
New York City
Microsoft
Xbox
Cory Doctorow
Antitrust
Data Centers
Zenimax Online Studios

A podcast about Silicon Valley, AI, labor and power. www.bloodinthemachine.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes9Founded9 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Blood in the Machine

Latest Episodes

There are fresh signs that the AI bubble is wobbling. Again.

In recent weeks, a much-vaunted AI-focused hedge fund, Situational Awareness, run by Valley wunderkind Leopold Aschenbrenner lost $35 billion; nearly its entire fund. South Korea saw its l... more

Elon Musk is not the richest man in the world merely because he’s good at selling cars or rockets at a profitable margin. That might have sufficed for richest men in the world of decades past. But Musk became the world’s first trillionaire, however b... more

On July 6th, Microsoft announced that it was laying off 4,800 workers, largely from its Xbox gaming division. It’s now sadly routine in the tech industry; thousands of jobs gone in an instant, with little more than a corporate memo and some platitude... more

The year has been marked by the rise of open, widespread, and increasingly spirited backlash to AI, data centers, and big tech. As such, the stage was well set for the Summer of Ludd, a series of protests, performances, talks, and meetups in New York... more

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Recent Guests

Quinn Slobodian
Co-author of Muskism, A Guide for the Perplexed
Co-author, Muskism
Episode: What is an 'Elon Musk'?
Chris Hayes
Lead Services Programmer at id Software; long-tenured employee
id Software
Episode: Xbox workers speak out about layoffs, AI, and how big tech brought a crisis to gaming
Morgan Gowan
Senior Encounter Designer at CineMax Online Studios; bargaining committee member
CineMax Online Studios / Elder Scrolls Online
Episode: Xbox workers speak out about layoffs, AI, and how big tech brought a crisis to gaming
Autumn Mitchell
Senior Quality Assurance Tester Level 2 at Zenimax (publisher arm of the studio)
Zenimax Online Studios / QA Union organizing
Episode: Xbox workers speak out about layoffs, AI, and how big tech brought a crisis to gaming
Amanda Hanna-McCleer
Documentary filmmaker, activist, organizer involved in Summer of Ludd
Luddite movement / Summer of Ludd
Episode: The Luddites take New York
Paris Marx
Author, podcaster, journalist; host of Tech Won't Save Us; critic of Silicon Valley tech dominance
Tech Won't Save Us / Disconnect / Hyperscale
Episode: How and why to de-Google your life
Molly White
Technologist, journalist, author of Citation Needed; creator of Tech Influence Watch
Tech Influence Watch / Citation Needed
Episode: The AI industry is pouring hundreds of millions into US elections
Cory Doctorow
Author of Enshittification and long-time digital rights advocate
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Episode: How to dis-enshittify the world, with Cory Doctorow
Jacob Silverman
Author of It's Going to Look Backwards and Everything; author of Gilded Rage, Elon Musk and The Radicalization of Silicon Valley
Author/Scholar
Episode: Understanding the tech oligarchy and its gilded rage with Jacob Silverman

Host

Brian Merchant
Host with a focus on labor, tech power, and anti-monopoly perspectives; central voice behind the show's critical lens on Silicon Valley and AI-driven workplace shifts.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 34 ratings
  • The podcast about tech rebellion by the number one expert in the field

    If you are fed up to hear that Silicon Valley is synonymous with innovation, that their tech is all the progress we need, that their AI future is inevitable, you will love this podcast.

    Brian Merchant demonstrates empathy for the people whose lives are cast into disarray by the extractive nature of the Silicon Valley model, which always makes it an enjoyable listen in spite of the topic.

    Great guests and a brilliant catch up on the news at the beginning of each episode.

    Thanks from the UK!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    One tech user
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Great content but

    I love this guy and his POV, but the mixing of this pod is so bad! He’s kind of a low talker so you will have the volume up, but the episodes are interspersed with clips with the volume up so high I kept getting blasted in my headphones. Please work on this!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    picsofyorkies
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host asks tough questions about tech power and labor, which is refreshing for the industry.
Content is timely and provocative, but some listeners crave more actionable takeaways.
Guests bring diverse perspectives from activism to journalism, enriching debates.
Production quality and audio balance are common topics for improvement.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#78
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#58
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#99
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#44
Italy/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#48
France/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#103
Germany/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What is an 'Elon Musk'?
Q: How does the SpaceX-Tesla combination function as a model for private-public collaboration?
SpaceX serves as the vehicle for consolidating control, leveraging government contracts and military applications, while Tesla leverages state-supported incentives to accelerate electric-vehicle and climate-related goals, illustrating a symbiotic relationship where state capacity underwrites private innovation.
What is an 'Elon Musk'?
Q: What is Muskism, and why does it matter beyond Elon Musk as an individual?
Muskism is understood as a systemic blend of fortress futurism, sovereignty through technology, and financial fabulism that uses state collaboration and private leadership to reshape labor, production, and governance, making Musk a symptom of broader digital-capitalist trends rather than the sole origin of them.
Xbox workers speak out about layoffs, AI, and how big tech brought a crisis to gaming
Q: Can you talk a little about what it felt like inside the organization during the layoffs and how the union responded?
The guests describe instantaneous disconnection of communications, the two separate layoff groups, and the speed of the process, followed by a long, tense bargaining period and public sentiment from players and fans supporting the workers.
Xbox workers speak out about layoffs, AI, and how big tech brought a crisis to gaming
Q: So first, if you could introduce yourselves, starting with Morgan, can you tell us a little bit about where you work, what you do, and how you were impacted by this recent round?
Morgan Gowan introduces herself as a Senior Encounter Designer at CineMax Online Studios working on Elder Scrolls Online and outlines her bargaining role on the union, detailing how she and many coworkers were affected by the July layoffs.
The Luddites take New York
Q: What was the Summer of Ludd really about for people who weren't there?
It was about reclaiming agency, reuniting with each other in public spaces, and resisting the overbearing voice of major tech companies through embodied, participatory acts and performances.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Blood in the Machine

What is Blood in the Machine about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Prolific conversations center on labor, technology power, and the economics of Silicon Valley. Across episodes, listeners hear firsthand accounts from game developers and union organizers about layoffs, AI's impact on work, and strategies for collective bargaining. Other frequent threads critique tech monopolies, data power, and platform governance, with guests offering historical and evaluative context on how labor, policy, and culture intersect in the digital era. A standout trait is the mix of on-the-ground organizing insight with sharp critiques of corporate tech strategy, making it a resource for both workers and policy-minded readers. Potential listeners will likely find the discussions timely for understanding worker organizing movem... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Blood in the Machine?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Blood in the Machine:

1. Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000
2. Tech Won't Save Us
3. This Machine Kills
4. Better Offline
5. The 404 Media Podcast

How many episodes of Blood in the Machine are there?

Blood in the Machine launched 9 months ago and published 9 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Blood in the Machine?

Recent guests on Blood in the Machine include:

1. Quinn Slobodian
2. Chris Hayes
3. Morgan Gowan
4. Autumn Mitchell
5. Amanda Hanna-McCleer
6. Paris Marx
7. Molly White
8. Cory Doctorow

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