Crunch Mode Never Died—AI Just Made It a Lifestyle
The AI industry, while booming, is accelerating a toxic work culture defined by burnout, crunch, and unrealistic expectations. Engineers report hospitalizations, broken relationships, and mental health crises fueled by relentless pressure and performative overwork. Echoing the video game industry's infamous "crunch," this cycle is increasingly normalized and glorified as dedication.
Peter Sobot's Blog
Though short, this essay (and its responses) was rooted in the idea: the ability to work at a high AI company, ‘The compensation will reward an insane grind. If you leave the loop—if you stop caring—you’ll be out of scope. AI normalizes many other jobs.’
Now, even those outside AI are feeling the ripple effects of this unsustainable grind.