Obi Ogbanufe, PhD

Obi Ogbanufe, PhD • Jun 13, 2024 • 1 min read

AI Burnout Crisis: Why Engineers Are Overwhelmed and Leaving

In the race to innovate and capitalize on the lucrative AI technology market, a troubling trend may be emerging: AI engineers and developers are experiencing severe burnout. I describe some of the root causes of this issue, shedding light on the immense pressures these professionals face and the broader implications for the tech industry and its consumers.

Pressure to Perform: The drive to quickly develop and deploy AI tools leads to significant employee burnout, with organizations prioritizing investor satisfaction over solving real-world problems.

The Rush for Profit: The potential profitability of AI technology, expected to generate over $1 trillion in revenue within a decade, is fueling the rush. Is this rush compromising product quality and employee well-being?

Product and Ethical Concerns:  With the rush, essential product features are being sidelined, products remain inadequately tested, and AI ethics are often ignored in haste to deliver.

Employee Challenges: AI professionals complain that they are often undertrained, misaligned with their projects, and feel overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations and constant changes.

Looking ahead, what steps do we need to take as an industry and as individuals? These may include a greater focus on AI ethics, demanding better work conditions for developers, and encouraging the development of AI solutions that genuinely solve real problems.

Here, watch my video on this topic.

References https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/03/ai-en...