Brian Merchant

Brian Merchant is a tech columnist at The Los Angeles Times who has previously reviewed iPhones. He has a clear bias against the idea of unregulated technological progress and the negative impacts it can have on workers and society. Merchant follows cat-and-mouse games between worker-leaders and mill-owning capitalists, as well as the history of the Luddite movement, which he argues is relevant now as ever. He joins others in arguing that Luddism is not just for loom-smashers, but for those uncomfortable with such blind faith in new technology.

Biography:  https://www.wired.com/story/everyone-is-a-luddite-now/

44%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a poor reputation for journalistic standards and is not considered a reliable news source.

Bias

10%

Examples:

  • Brian Merchant seems to have a clear bias against the idea of unregulated technological progress and the negative impacts it can have on workers and society.
  • He also appears to support the idea of workers having more say in how technology is used in their industries.

Conflicts of Interest

100%

Examples:

  • Brian Merchant is a tech columnist at The Los Angeles Times and has previously reviewed iPhones, which could potentially create a conflict of interest when writing about the tech industry.

Contradictions

50%

Examples:

  • It also states that 'gaming might be the biggest industry AI stands poised to conquer.', yet later it mentions that jobs started disappearing.
  • The article mentions that AI is already taking jobs in the video game industry, which contradicts the statement that 'an estimated 10,500 people in the video game industry were laid off in 2023.'
  • The author seems to contradict themselves when they mention the potential for technology to make conditions better while also supporting the idea of workers fighting against its use for those purposes.

Deceptions

10%

Examples:

  • It also mentions that 'When Noah saw the email, a wave of anxiety hit.' This sentence seems to be intended to evoke emotion and could be seen as deceptive in its use of dramatic language.
  • The article mentions that 'gaming might be the biggest industry AI stands poised to conquer.', which could be seen as an exaggeration or deceptive statement.

Recent Articles

AI in Gaming Industry: Enhancing Creativity or Displacing Jobs?

AI in Gaming Industry: Enhancing Creativity or Displacing Jobs?

Broke On: Saturday, 01 April 2023 Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in the gaming industry is causing controversy, with some seeing potential for enhanced creativity and job losses for artists and designers. Activision tested AI systems like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion internally, leading to rumors of job displacement. Layoffs have been prevalent in the industry, with an estimated 21,500 jobs lost in 2023 and 2024. Companies like Microsoft have shuttered studios as generative AI systems develop. While concerns about job loss persist, others believe AI can enable creators to focus on innovative gameplay.