We first open a door by talking about the great new ‘right to repair’ ruling from the FTC, which is the result of a long fight against rentier monopolies and digital enclosure, and should be precedent for expanding these battles and rights much further. We then tune back into hell by discussing how the AI-driven promises of convenience, personalization, and agentic servants are bribes meant to make people accept their own dependence, exploitation, and subservience to tech capital. Finally, a quick look at yet another way the AI boom is destroying life in San Francisco.

••• Farmers Finally Get a John Deere Right to Repair Agreement That Doesn’t Screw Them Over https://www.404media.co/farmers-finally-get-a-john-deere-right-to-repair-agreement-that-doesnt-screw-them-over/

••• John Deere Must Let Owners Repair Farm Equipment, Settlement Says https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/business/john-deere-ftc-right-to-repair.html

••• Meta Patents AI Device That Tracks Your Emotions, Watches You Take Your Meds https://www.404media.co/meta-patents-ai-device-that-tracks-your-emotions-watches-you-take-your-meds/

••• ‘Hysteria’ Grips San Francisco’s Housing Market as A.I. Wealth Pours In https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/technology/san-francisco-home-sales-openai-anthropic-ipo.html

••• In San Francisco, Even $180,000 Tech Salaries Are No Longer Enough https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/29/technology/san-francisco-tech-salaries.html

Standing Plugs:

••• Order Jathan’s book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520398078/the-mechanic-and-the-luddite

••• Subscribe to Ed’s substack: https://substack.com/@thetechbubble

••• Subscribe to TMK on patreon for premium episodes: https://www.patreon.com/thismachinekills

Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (bsky.app/profile/jathansadowski.com) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (www.x.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (bsky.app/profile/jebr.bsky.social)