Lego announces Smart Brick, the 'most significant evolution' in 50 years, no AI

Lego just dropped its first ever “Smart Brick” — a tiny computer hidden inside a classic block that lights up, makes Star Wars sound effects, talks to other bricks, and reacts when you blow on it — and the internet immediately split into two camps: childlike wonder vs. boomer rage. Officially, Lego is calling it the biggest evolution in 50 years. Unofficially, commenters are calling it everything from “Mindstorms 2.0” to “RIP imagination.”

One camp is hyped, digging up Lego Mindstorms and saying they grew up with robot bricks, so this is just the next level. Others are sharing Lego’s own “how we built it” page like it’s director’s commentary for nerds. But the loudest drama? The “Lego has lost its soul” crowd. One nostalgic fan complains that today’s sets are overpriced one-shot models instead of boxes of endless creativity — and that stuffing them with electronics is just doubling down on that. Another link to a BBC piece about “experts’ unease” poured gasoline on the fire, with people side-eyeing the microphones and Bluetooth like they’re mini spy gadgets. Lego swears there’s no camera, no artificial intelligence, and that the mic is just a fancy “blow here” button, but the vibe in the comments is clear: half the community wants lightsabers that hum, half just wants a bucket of dumb, silent bricks back.