I’ve been knee-deep in this AI conversation for years now; and for the first time, the story everyone’s telling feels off. A year ago, every headline professed AI’s uncapped potential. AI was reportedly days, hours, minutes, seconds away from swallowing every job from coders to clerks. The hype was spectacular. Now, those same outlets are betting on its ‘inevitable’ collapse amid US economic struggles. I’ve seen friends get laid off and countless fellow startups close down shop, supposedly because of ‘AI efficiency’ and redirected resources. But the truth is messier — and a lot more human — than headlines suggest.
As CEO and co-founder of Calaxy, I’ve spent the last few years building in the creator economy. I’ve written countless articles, dug into markets live on TV as a financial analyst, and even made the occasional angel investment. These experiences have shaped what I’d call a nuanced but practical view of the tech lifecycle, from true incentives to false promises, and everything in between.
Here’s what I’ve deduced firsthand: AI isn’t coming for your job in the way people fear. Its aspirations are far more subtle. Its goal is to make the humans, specifically those that remain post-efficiency cuts, actually do their work.
1. AI’s Potential Is Capped (for Now)
It can’t replace humans yet, but it’s making smaller groups way more productive.
Despite Elon Musk’s ambitious push to mass-produce humanoid robots for everyday tasks, it appears that we’re still several years away from achieving that vision. His Tesla Cybercabs have similarly underdelivered, with fewer than five fully autonomous vehicles operating in Austin — far short of 2026 projections. For now, they still require human drivers for oversight.
These shortcomings highlight the awkward midpoint of AI adoption. The grand promises have fallen short, but there’s a thriving market for AI systems that leverage humans to close gaps. Rentahuman.ai, for example. They launched in February and already had 500,000 users by mid-March. Its model is simple: AI agents diagnose tasks, assess options and hire the best humans to execute them, minimizing inefficiencies and delays. It’s not about replacing humans, it’s about turning a small crew of them into superhumans. I see this becoming the new middle management layer across corporate America. Companies won’t need whole teams to coordinate in clunky, unproductive meetings; one AI with a few humans will get the job done cheaper and faster.
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2. Everyone’s Using AI to Game the Hiring Process
And now the whole thing is diluted with content.
The labor market has been in shambles for years. The average search lasts three to six months; most give up. Thirty-four percent of job seekers report even longer searches. Recruiters are inundated with applications as a result. Seasoned professionals are settling for entry-level jobs to survive, while new graduates are largely shut out.
Both sides have turned to AI to cope. Job seekers use it to write their resumes. Recruiters let it screen them. The result is a flood of polished-but-generic applications that all sound the same. As a startup operator, I’ve watched and warned my own team about it. The overuse of AI in your copy, pitches and outreach is both noticeable and detrimental.
Economists advise employed individuals not to leave their posts for replacing them, even for the most talented, is nearly impossible. Things will likely worsen before they get better. AI-saturated hiring is the new normal. Without it, neither side could handle all the noise.
3. AI’s Being Used To Optimize Performance Reviews
I’m using it at Calaxy myself. Since last year, firms like JPMorgan have rolled out AI for performance reviews to “remove bias” and make feedback more data-driven. It’s still imperfect and requires human oversight — much like those Cybercabs — but they point to a future shaped by automation.
I’ve leaned on AI too. I use Claude every day as my personal assistant — it handles research, draft, basic analyses and keeps me organized. I’ve also used it to structure performance reviews given Calaxy’s my first true managerial experience. AI surfaces patterns I might miss and keeps things consistent; however, it’s no replacement for me. It just makes sure I actually show up prepared and honest. It holds me accountable to do the human part of my role better.
Conclusion
Nothing’s been the same since Covid. Nostalgia’s surging, and the timeline proves it. A growing share of passive Americans are losing hope, while others are shamelessly hunting for ways to game the system. I understand why leadership has turned to intelligent systems to bring order back, but some of it is unnecessary. There are clear benefits today but I worry about how far we’ll let it go.
Will AI deliver the efficiency we were promised? We can’t be sure but time will tell. With Sam Altman’s recent comments about treating AI like a finite utility — billed like electricity or water — I’m not too sure if AI will be the liberating force it was once promised to be.
So yeah, AI won’t take all our jobs. But it’s going to make sure we do them. The question is whether we’re ready for that version of the future.