San Francisco's AI startups are known for their demanding work culture, with employees often working 12-hour days and no weekends. This intense environment fuels anxiety among tech workers, who worry about job security as AI advances. Executive coach Mike Robbins notes a power shift away from employees, leading to increased company demands. The Guardian's "Reworked" series will explore how AI affects modern labor through 2026, highlighting a trend that may soon impact sectors like healthcare and education.
While some suggest the panic about AI taking jobs is overblown, new data indicates significant shifts. Customer support agent hires plummeted over 65%, from 8.3% in late 2023 to 2.88% by late 2025, due to AI automation. This displacement, tracked by Pave Data Lab and Andreessen Horowitz, impacts a key entry-level tech role. Simultaneously, 91% of UK security teams prioritize advanced AI, yet face skill shortages and weak policy enforcement, creating a "Cybersecurity Readiness Deficit" as attackers increasingly use deepfakes.
Anthropic recently announced its AI "agents" can perform legal, marketing, and sales tasks independently, showcasing real economic potential. However, the company faces scrutiny, with the Pentagon considering labeling Anthropic AI a "supply chain risk" due to its hesitation to allow unrestricted military use. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has previously expressed concerns about AI risks in military applications. The Pentagon is also urging other AI companies like Google and OpenAI to permit their models for all lawful uses.
The broader societal impact of AI is also emerging, from ethical dilemmas to infrastructure demands. Three Arizona women are suing an Instagram influencer for allegedly using their photos to create and monetize deepfake porn chatbots, highlighting growing concerns about nonconsensual deepfake pornography, a topic supported by figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Meanwhile, the English town of Potters Bar is protesting an 85-acre data center planned by Equinix to host AI workloads, citing loss of green space.
In 2026, media training is becoming crucial for business leaders because AI systems, including large language models like ChatGPT, use public statements as training data. This means everything leaders say publicly can influence how AI answers questions about their companies, fueling a renaissance in public relations. Recognizing the need for AI literacy, Indiana University launched "GenAI 101," a free online course teaching effective AI use, which over 100,000 students, staff, and faculty have taken since August, now available to 800,000 alumni.
Key Takeaways
- San Francisco AI startups maintain an intense work culture, with employees often working 12-hour days and experiencing increased anxiety over job security.
- Customer support agent hires dropped over 65% from 8.3% in late 2023 to 2.88% by late 2025, largely due to AI-powered automation, signaling a lasting shift in entry-level tech jobs.
- Anthropic's AI "agents" can now perform legal, marketing, and sales tasks independently, demonstrating significant economic potential.
- The Pentagon is considering labeling Anthropic AI a "supply chain risk" due to the company's hesitation to allow unrestricted military use, while urging Google and OpenAI to permit their models for all lawful uses.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has previously voiced concerns about the risks of AI in military and government applications.
- Businesses, especially UK security teams (91%), prioritize AI adoption but face a "Cybersecurity Readiness Deficit" due to skill shortages and a lack of AI education, even as 76% experience deepfake attacks.
- Leaders require media training in the AI era as public statements feed into AI systems like ChatGPT, influencing how AI answers questions about their companies.
- Concerns about nonconsensual deepfake pornography are rising, exemplified by a lawsuit against an Instagram influencer for allegedly using social media photos to create and monetize erotic AI chatbots.
- Local communities, such as Potters Bar in England, are protesting the development of large data centers, like an 85-acre Equinix facility for AI workloads, citing loss of green space.
- Indiana University offers a free online course, "GenAI 101," which has seen over 100,000 participants since August, aiming to improve AI literacy among students, staff, and alumni.
AI Startups Push Workers to Limit in San Francisco
San Francisco AI startups are known for their intense work culture, with employees often working 12-hour days and no weekends. This demanding environment causes anxiety among tech workers, who worry about job security as AI advances. Experts like Mike Robbins note a shift in power away from employees, leading to increased demands from companies. While some workers like Kyle Finken feel energized by the innovation, this trend in AI could soon affect other industries.
AI Reshapes Workplaces and Increases Anxiety
Artificial intelligence is changing jobs and increasing anxiety in the workplace, especially in the tech industry. The Guardian's new series "Reworked" will explore how AI affects modern labor throughout 2026. Tech workers in San Francisco feel less optimistic and more anxious about their future as AI automates tasks like coding. Executive coach Mike Robbins observes that companies now focus on change and disruption instead of employee well-being. This trend in tech may be a warning for other sectors like healthcare and education.
Leaders Need Media Training for the AI Era
In 2026, media training is crucial for business leaders because AI systems use public statements as training data. This means everything leaders say publicly can influence how AI answers questions about their companies. Strategic foresight is now vital, as shown by 82% of firms not seeing pandemics as a top risk before COVID-19. AI and marketing expert Mark Schaefer notes that public relations is experiencing a renaissance, with earned media fueling AI search and large language models like ChatGPT. Leaders who excel in communication will gain visibility and authority from AI.
AI Jobs Panic Is Misplaced Says Opinion Piece
Many people worry about AI taking jobs, but one opinion suggests this panic is overblown. A leading AI company, Anthropic, recently announced that its AI "agents" can now perform legal, marketing, and sales tasks on their own. While this shows real economic potential, the article argues that the widespread concern about job loss is excessive.
English Town Fights New AI Data Center
The small English town of Potters Bar is protesting a new data center planned for 85 acres of local farmland. Residents like Ros Naylor object to losing green space, which they value for mental health and as a buffer against highways. Hertsmere Borough Council approved the data center, citing government support for the industry and calling the land "low-performing green belt." Equinix, which will operate the facility, chose the site for its proximity to major areas and strong power infrastructure, planning to host many AI workloads.
Businesses Prioritize AI But Employee Skills Lag
Most UK security teams, 91%, see adopting advanced AI as a top priority for their businesses. However, companies face challenges like skill shortages and weak policy enforcement, which slow down widespread AI use. While 93% of security professionals believe AI automation improves attack response, actual deployment in areas like cloud security and incident response is much lower. Attackers are also using AI, with 76% of UK organizations experiencing deepfake attacks and half facing personalized deepfake phishing. This highlights a "Cybersecurity Readiness Deficit" due to employees, including CEOs, lacking sufficient AI education.
AI Changes Private Jet Charter Market
Artificial intelligence is influencing the private jet charter market, but experts like Greg Johnson from Tuvoli warn against misusing it. Johnson explains that while automation speeds up processes, it often fails to improve understanding of why trips succeed or fail. He clarifies that AI uses probabilistic reasoning and cannot guarantee perfect availability or pricing due to real-world issues like mechanical problems or weather. Instead, AI should focus on reducing friction and cognitive load for humans, such as cleaning data, triaging requests, and identifying buying patterns. This approach helps human judgment rather than replacing it.
Women Sue AI Coach Over Deepfake Porn
Three Arizona women are suing Instagram influencer Beau Schultz and others for allegedly using their social media photos to create deepfake porn chatbots. The lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County, claims the men monetized the women's likenesses by selling subscriptions to these erotic chatbots. Their lawyer, Nick Brand, described a playbook involving taking 8-10 photos and feeding them into an AI platform. One plaintiff expressed feeling "scared and defeated" by the misuse of her innocent pictures. This case highlights growing concerns about nonconsensual deepfake pornography, with figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supporting the federal Defiance Act to provide legal recourse for victims.
Pentagon May Label Anthropic AI a Supply Risk
The Pentagon is considering labeling Anthropic AI as a "supply chain risk," which would require military partners to cut ties with the company. This move stems from Anthropic's hesitation to allow unrestricted military use of its AI systems. Currently, Anthropic's models are the only AI tools available in classified military systems, but they come with limitations. Pentagon officials are also urging other AI companies like Google and OpenAI to permit their models for all lawful uses. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has previously voiced concerns about the risks of AI in military and government applications.
AI Replaces Customer Support Jobs Rapidly
New data from Pave Data Lab and Andreessen Horowitz shows a sharp decline in customer support agent hires, falling from 8.3% in late 2023 to just 2.88% by late 2025. This significant drop of over 65% in less than two years is linked to the fast adoption of AI-powered support automation across the tech industry. The data, based on 386,500 new hires, suggests a lasting shift rather than a temporary dip, with displacement accelerating. Customer support has historically been a major entry-level tech job, and this trend could impact career mobility for many workers.
Indiana University Offers Free AI Training Course
Indiana University launched "GenAI 101," a free online course designed to teach people how to effectively use artificial intelligence. Since its August launch, over 100,000 IU students, staff, and faculty have taken the course, which is now available to more than 800,000 alumni globally. The course, consisting of 31 short videos, aims to help participants build their own AI assistant. While IU states the course is not mandatory, some staff members, like Katy Moore, felt pressured to complete it.
Sources
- 12-hour days, no weekends: the anxiety driving AI’s brutal work culture is a warning for all of us
- AI’s workplace revolution is here – and anxiety is rising with it
- Media training as a key AI strategy for leaders in 2026
- Opinion | Why the AI jobs panic is misplaced
- The Small English Town Swept Up in the Global AI Arms Race
- Adopting AI is a major priority for businesses - but employees are falling behind on education
- How artificial intelligence will impact the private jet charter market
- Arizona women sue AI startup coach for allegedly using their social media images to make deepfake porn
- Pentagon Considers Designating Anthropic AI as a 'Supply Chain Risk': Report
- Percentage Of Customer Support Agents Hired Has Fallen From 8.3% To 2.8% Over Last Two Years: a16z Data
- GenAI 101: IU’s Artificial Intelligence Training Course
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