There are reasons this timeline is so exhausting.

Between all the manufactured urgency of forced AI adoption, constantly moving goal posts around retraining, and relentless fear inducing job insecurity, AI related anxiety and burnout are taking a heavy toll on the mental health of tech workers and the general public.

A report from the America Psychological Association is revealing, with workers reporting that “technological change is benefiting employers more than workers.” The numbers are also increasing this year for folks worrying that they will “fall behind other workers at their company if they do not use AI”.

So to all my dear friends in the AI cargo cult of middle management perpetuating this pyramid scheme of abuse, I’m sure talking to a positive affirmation machine all day might give you a touch of main character syndrome, but good grief, don’t assume everything is about you!

A piece in Fast Company “AI psychosis is the new leadership blind spot” nails why that’s so hard when “polished-looking output with less substance beneath”, that the folks at Stanford and BetterUp call “workslop” gets to leadership. Who isn’t feeling this lately? The amount of incompetent experts AI is churning out might be the reason their talk is converging on the same ideas as well. 

Skepticism is essential to responsible tool adoption and not the tired, boring claim of protecting the old guard, but just like that scene in Her when he finds out his AI girlfriend is simultaneously talking to thousands of other people and “in love” with a bunch of them at the same time, guess what:

“In one recent survey, 74% of executives said they had more confidence in AI’s advice than in that of colleagues or friends, and 44% said they would defer to its reasoning over their own insights.” 

So if you feel like you’re taking crazy pills, remember it’s definitely not you – it’s them. We’re under a multi-billion dollar marketing assault that has “more than tripled in the US in Q1 2026, with OpenAI and Anthropic increasing spend by 800%+ YoY as competition for users intensifies.” Nothing about this is normal.

I know I’m feeling on the edge of burn out these days, so I guess it’s also time for our regular reminder to those being called a Luddite for being skeptical of AI bros or vendor claims that:

• Thinking critically about a technology is NOT being AGAINST it…
• Considering harm in a technology’s use is NOT being AGAINST it…
• Being critical of the marketing of a technology is NOT being AGAINST it…
• Having principles and values drive your adoption of technology is NOT being AGAINST it…
• Calling out unverifiable claims used misleadingly to sell a technology is NOT being AGAINST it…

But as my friend Michael Bolton likes to say, “Good luck with your thing”…