Brian Merchant is an American technology journalist and author. His work often focuses on social and environmental issues relating to technology and tech companies.[1] His writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Wired, Slate, The Atlantic, and The Guardian.[1] He was the technology columnist at the Los Angeles Times in from 2023 to early 2024. He has written two books, The One Device: the Secret History of the iPhone (2017) and Blood in the Machine: the Origins of the Rebellion against Big Tech (2023).
Brian Merchant | |
|---|---|
 Merchant in 2025 | |
| Born | Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Technology journalist, author |
| Education | UC Santa Barbara |
| Notable works | The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone (2017), Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech (2023) |
| Website | |
| brianmerchant | |
He currently works full time reporting for his Substack newsletter, Blood in the Machine, where he reports on how big tech and developments in generative AI affect workers and consumers.[2]
Biography
editMerchant is from Sacramento, California. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara.[1]
While at Vice, he co-founded Terraform, a speculative fiction section of Motherboard.[1][3]
In January 2023, he became the technology columnist at the Los Angeles Times.[1] In January 2024, Merchant was laid off in a wave of layoffs exceeding 20% of newsroom staff at the Los Angeles Times.[4]
In February 2025, Merchant began working full time reporting for his Substack newsletter Blood in the Machine.[2]
Books
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Brian Merchant to join The Times as technology columnist in Business". Los Angeles Times. January 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Merchant, Brian. "The tech oligarchs and their AI are taking over. Let's fight back". www.bloodinthemachine.com. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ^ Merchant, Claire Evans and Brian (2014-11-17). "Why We Terraformed a New Home for Future Fiction". VICE. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ^ Darcy, Oliver (2024-01-23). "Los Angeles Times slashes more than 20% of newsroom staff as the paper confronts a 'financial crisis' | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ Grossman, Lev (June 19, 2017). "The iPhone Is 10 Years Old. Here's the Story of Its Birth". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Mikanowski, Jacob (29 June 2017). "The One Device by Brian Merchant review – the secret history and moral cost of the iPhone | History books". The Guardian. amp.theguardian.com.
- ^ Gabert-Doyon, Joshua (29 November 2023). "Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech". www.ft.com.
- ^ "BLOOD IN THE MACHINE | Kirkus Reviews" – via www.kirkusreviews.com.
- ^ Gulliver, Katrina (September 29, 2023). "'Blood in the Machine' Review: Luddites Fighting the Future". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
They saw the Industrial Revolution as a program to replace skilled craftsmen with machines, and rose up to defend the old ways.
- ^ Gulliver, Katrina (September 29, 2023). "'Blood in the Machine' Review: Luddites Fighting the Future". New Scientist.
They saw the Industrial Revolution as a program to replace skilled craftsmen with machines, and rose up to defend the old ways.
- ^ Hancock, Jaime Rubio (January 9, 2024). "The Luddites defended their work against automation. What can we learn from them?". EL PAÍS English.