I live in a neighborhood that skews mostly 20-somethings. For the last five months, I've noticed most snippets of conversation I overhear are about one of three things:

  • job struggles (finding a new one, or surviving the current one)
  • dating (it's hard out here)
  • health (surprising number of conversations about cholesterol?)

Meanwhile, tech circles are operating in a parallel universe. Fable dropped today with wild benchmarks, and AI bulls are exhausting themselves on what AI can replace (and AI bears on disputing what can be replaced).

There's a massive disconnect here.

We're doing the next generation of builders a disservice by framing AI purely in terms of replacement - especially of early-career labor.

When you look at what people are actually struggling with IRL, I'm seeing a pull back toward deeply human connection and trust. Even AI builders are now bashing the use of AI for interpersonal comms, and IRL fitness trainers and matchmakers are entering unexpected spaces like LinkedIn to help solve vulnerable, high-context human problems that even the best frontier model can’t magically solve for you.

A follow-up on labels and identity

Originally published on

I've had some incredibly interesting conversations since then, especially with young 20-somethings trying to navigate the start of their careers.

I'm intrigued by a pattern that quickly emerged: the emotional power of labels and identity emerging here.

It feels like the conversation is being pushed into strict binaries:

  • You're either pro-AI or anti-AI.
  • You're either AI-native or you're legacy.
  • You're AI-pilled or you're a skeptic.
  • You're booing at a commencement or you're not.

I don't think these labels are actually helping us navigate the complexity of this time. Just as with most things in life, multiple things can be true at once.

A technology can have deeply problematic facets that you disagree with, while simultaneously holding the potential for tremendous positive impact if it's harnessed well.

Personally, I want to stay engaged in building it and shaping that direction instead of opting out because of the labels.