I almost quit YouTube....

Chuck, I actually paused the video just to write this and say thank you. It’s incredibly refreshing to hear someone as intelligent and accomplished as you openly say, “I haven’t figured it all out yet.” In the tech world, that kind of honesty is rare, and it’s something I really appreciated hearing it. I’ve been in IT for about 25 years, I have a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, and technology is something I genuinely love to my core. But I’ll be honest—watching some of the rapid changes happening right now, especially around AI, there are moments where I catch myself thinking, man… am I falling behind? The pace of innovation right now is honestly a little overwhelming. New tools, new models, new frameworks every other week. It can make even people who have been doing this for decades feel like they’re trying to drink from a firehose. So hearing someone like you say you’re still figuring things out too was surprisingly comforting. It reminded me that none of us have the entire map yet, we’re all just explorers moving forward one step at a time. I’m pretty sure I’m speaking on behalf of a lot of people in tech when I say that kind of transparency is refreshing and encouraging. So seriously—thank you for saying it out loud. Ok, back to the video.

I work in IT. I despise AI.

0:30 first mistake, reading Twitter first thing in the morning

I’m autistic. Coding is what I do basically all the time. I thought I could be useful to society doing that, but 5 years into my first job everything has changed so much. I don’t like coding that much anymore. I feel robbed to a degree it makes me sick and I don’t know what to do. Sure SWE will not disappear. But the job is changing so much. I try to do leet code exercises regularly because I can’t get myself to just code the old way anymore, when there’s a shortcut so tempting to take every time for every task. I feel so empty

Every one talking about ai Me: learning python in 2026

Try TwinGate for FREE (5 users): https://ntck.co/twingate Access your homelab, NAS, and servers from anywhere with zero trust network access! AI is stressing me out—like, a LOT. So much that I almost quit YouTube. In this video, I'm coming to you from Okinawa, Japan where I've been on a 3-month sabbatical trying to find clarity in the middle of the most intense AI wave we've ever seen. I talk about what's really happening in our industry, the burnout that nobody's talking about, and why I'm choosing relentless optimism over fear. In this video, you'll hear my honest take on AI burnout, the viral Matt Schumer article, OpenClaw, tech layoffs in 2026, and why the anxiety is the real problem—not the robots. Whether you're a network engineer worried about your career, an IT professional feeling paralyzed by the pace of change, or just someone who loves tech but feels overwhelmed, this conversation is for you. I'm not pretending to have the answers anymore—I'm learning alongside you. Join the NetworkChuck Academy!: https://ntck.co/NCAcademy RESOURCES / LINKS: 🌐 Matt Schumer's Viral AI Article: https://x.com/mattshumer_ 📖 UC Berkeley AI Burnout Study (62% report anxiety by month 6) 📖 Yale Budget Lab: AI labor displacement analysis 📖 Fortune Article Rebuttal on AI coding claims 📺 OpenClaw Series (coming soon on this channel!) 🛠 TwinGate - Zero Trust Network Access: https://ntck.co/twingate 📺 NetworkChuck Academy: https://ntck.co/NCAcademy TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - AI is stressing me out and I almost quit YouTube 1:20 - Why I'm in Japan for three months on sabbatical 2:09 - The AI anxiety followed me to Okinawa 3:03 - The love-hate relationship every techie has with AI 3:51 - It's okay to feel overwhelmed by AI right now 4:41 - OpenClaw, Schumer article, and what happened recently 6:37 - UC Berkeley burnout study and 2026 tech layoff stats 7:17 - Not everyone agrees with the AI doom narrative 7:34 - TwinGate: Access your homelab from anywhere (Sponsor) 9:36 - Is the viral Schumer article actually accurate? 11:51 - The real problem isn't future job loss—it's today's anxiety 12:26 - Why I froze and couldn't make an OpenClaw video 13:23 - What I realized on a flight with no WiFi 14:27 - I'm bad at AI and I'm being honest about it 16:09 - I'm not quitting YouTube and I'm not pretending anymore 16:21 - What's changing on this channel in 2026 18:02 - The camera didn't kill painting and AI won't kill us 19:46 - My phrase for 2026: Relentless Optimism 20:51 - A prayer for this community FEATURING: 👤 Matt Schumer (CEO, HyperWrite/OthersideAI): https://x.com/mattshumer_ 👤 Gary Marcus (NYU Professor, AI Critic): https://x.com/GaryMarcus 👤 Daniel Miessler (AI/Security Expert): https://x.com/DanielMiessler YouTube: https://youtube.com/@danielmiessler 👤 Vishal Misra (Columbia University Professor): https://x.com/vishalmisra 👤 Eric Markowitz (Managing Partner, Nightview Capital): https://x.com/EricMarkowitz **Sponsored by TwinGate

Hey Chuck! I haven't watched the whole video yet, but I wanted to say that you single-handedly got me into networking, I do a lot of my learning through your content and am in college for a Network Administration degree that uses Cisco curriculum. I wouldn't be doing this as a career if it wasn't for you and your videos. I think I can speak for the rest of the audience when I say, we appreciate everything that you do for this community. I hope to meet you at Cisco Live or some other event someday, God bless you and your family!

I burnt myself out working through university at the height of the pandemic, then graduated into a world that was worried about a recession from the aftermath, and then 5 years into my career people are saying that "AI is going to replace junior to intermediate engineers" like me. I've never considered a career outside of tech because it has always been what I wanted to do and the only thing I could see myself doing. After some issues at work, I started experiencing severe physical symptoms of stress, now I'm on antidepressants and going through the motions of CBT therapy. I never thought it would be like this.

This hit differently. I'm self-taught from Malawi with no formal education, no money, no resources — just your videos and determination. Watched 56 of them last year. "Relentless Optimism" is exactly what kept me going. Thank you for not quitting, Chuck. Genuinely.

I've been working in the computer industry since 1990 in HongKong (it only became known as IT after 2000). My first computer was an 8088XT. I was indeed laid off from an AI company in the past year, but I'm actually relieved that I can finally see the future world gradually becoming a reality. I've been out of work for a year, but I'm still constantly learning. Recently, friends in the education field have started asking me for help because they are more behind in technology than we are, and they are more afraid than we are.