Technology Archives – The Kansas City Defender

Manus vs. OpenAI: Is China Leading the Future of Autonomous Agents?

By The Defender Culture Columnist ● Technology ● March 8, 2025

Manus AI, China’s latest autonomous AI agent, is making waves with its ability to plan, execute, and complete complex tasks independently. As the U.S.-China AI race heats up, the tool is being hailed as a potential “Sputnik moment.”

Latest in Technology

St. Louis Police Authoritarian AI Program Leads to Innocent Black Man Caged for 17 Months

By Ryan S. ● Technology ● February 8, 2025

How St. Louis police are using AI facial recognition technology to extend America’s legacy of anti-Black surveillance and control.

After a Year of Routine Bus Route Cancellations, KCPS Ditches STA and Announces Zum as New Transportation Provider

By Lynnie Holl ● Education ● May 7, 2024

After a year of unreliable and inconsistent service from Student Transportation of America, KCPS contracts with Zum in getting students to and from school.

Organizers Warn Kansas Citians As Local Nuclear Components Plant Plans to Double in Size This Year

By Nico Addai ● Climate ● April 16, 2024

The expansion of KC’s National Security Campus which produces at least 80% of the non-nuclear parts for the US nuclear weapons stockpile raises concerns amidst a global call for nuclear disarmament and a public health crisis.

The First Robot Genocide: Israel Experimenting with Dystopian Militarized Robot Dogs in Ongoing Extermination Campaign

By Ryan S. ● World ● March 5, 2024

In an era where technology is shaped and driven by violent capitalist incentives and the military-industrial-complex, Gaza faces a grim new reality: the world’s first AI genocide. Armed with drone-mounted robot dogs, the Israeli military has crossed a terrifying threshold, utilizing conflict zones to experiment and “battle-test” technologies of extermination.

Unbelievably Real-Looking AI Video Model Sparks Intense AI Ethics Debate

By Ryan S. ● Technology ● February 20, 2024

OpenAI’s latest model, Sora, transforms text into hyperrealistic videos, igniting a firestorm of debate over AI ethics, the protection of creative labor, and the potential for misuse in an already volatile digital landscape.

Not A Social Media Phenomenon: The Roots of Disinformation As An Anti-Black Weapon

By Victoria Rollins ● Internet & Culture ● December 9, 2023

Disinformation is not new to social media—it’s a historic weapon of white supremacy, impacting Black communities since slavery. This piece explores its evolution and the vital role of community vigilance in response.

Google Selects The Kansas City Defender As 2023 Host Newsroom for Fellowship Program on Disinformation Reporting

By KC Defender Staff ● Internet & Culture ● July 14, 2023

The Kansas City Defender is selected as a host newsroom for the 2023 Google News Initiative and Poynter’s Fellowship Program. The program combats disinformation, offering a $10,000 stipend to the chosen fellow. Application deadline is July 21, 2023.

Black People Are Flooding to Black-Owned Social App “Spill” as Twitter Continues Self-Destruction

By Ryan S. ● Internet & Culture ● July 2, 2023

A massive surge of Twitter users is flocking to Spill, the #1 trending Black-owned social app founded by two ex-Twitter managers.

Podcast Interview: The Rise & Fall of Twitter, ChatGPT & Black Radical Imagination Featuring Dr. Andre Brock

By Ryan S. ● Technology ● March 1, 2023

In this riveting episode, host Ryan Sorrell interviews preeminent scholar Dr. André Brock. The discussion covers various topics ranging from the rise and fall of Twitter, where Black people will go if Twitter collapses, the benefits and also the inherent racism of ChatGPT and more.