2. The Concept: "Poison in the Machine" (Cultural Critique Papers)
This book takes a detailed look at the band's manager, Malcolm McLaren, and his vision for the band. It explores his plan to destabilize the music industry from the inside out—acting literally as a "poison in the machine". Poison In The Machine
You can read about this specific cultural critique in academic literature like Chapter 2 of the Cambridge University book No Future: Punk as Cultural Critique . You can read about this specific cultural critique
240 pages including extensive research, rare photographs, and citations. For a broad look at the math and
Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine (Published 2017 by Reaktion Books / distributed by the University of Chicago Press ).
For a broad look at the math and mechanics behind these attacks, read the ACM survey A Comprehensive Survey on Poisoning Attacks and Countermeasures in Machine Learning Systems.
If looking for academic papers discussing this exact phrase, it is widely cited in cultural geography and musicology to describe punk's attempt to use commercial systems to destroy them from within.