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.

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

Keep in mind the guy who wrote that article, Matt Shumer, is also the creator of Reflection 70B, a "revolutionary" AI model that turned out to just be a wrapper that made API calls to Claude for its output. Anyone who would pull something like that should not be listened to. Most of the "AI is going to take jobs" hype is to pump up the stock value of AI companies. Look at the Anthropic CEO shouting it to anyone who will listen. You don't think that narrative benefits him? As for job losses, if you're a CEO and you need to lay people off, which is going to sound better to your investors: "we have to lay people off", or "we're laying people off because we're using AI"? One sounds like the company is floundering; the other just adds a little lie and makes the company sound cutting-edge.

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

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've watched your videos for a long time chuck. I really needed to hear this today. I was starting to feel like I was getting left in the dust my projects were breaking down and I just didn't understand why it worked and why it didn't a lot of times. I believe myself to be highly analytical when it comes to knowing how things work so this has become frustrating to say the least. Your not the only one feeling it man. I totally get the stress. Take care of yourself man. Enjoy japan! You did your part. Go outside and enjoy the beautiful country your in. Watch some anime for me. Oh and take pictures!

Even though my comment will get lost in the sea of comments, I wanted to contribute to the conversation. Those subscribers of yours did not hit subscribe because of you being a guru, I mean I've learned a lot watching your videos.. but we subscribe because of your enthusiasm and your passion for what you do. You're a teacher, you're a leader.. and that gets you followers. We're right there with you, buddy. I share your anxiety, however if I could give my own word of advice, dont let future anxiety make you forget of all your past success. The internet is a better place with you in it, but do whetver it is that keeps that enthusiasm and passion going, even if that does mean you leave and follow some other dream, but for now we're grateful for the contributions you've made.

I'm right there with you Chuck. I have been experiencing the same feelings of panic, urgency and overwhelm, not knowing whether to retreat or double down. One thing is certain, we all need tools to be able to mitigate this panic and to get control of our fears, emotions and navigate the omnipresent buzz that never ceases. You use prayer, I try to be regular with positive thought and meditation (a different form of prayer). But thank you for forming this covenant with us and being with us through what is certainly one of the most unsettling periods of our history. We need each other. All of us.

Hey Chuck, Thanks for coming on here and being real about these changes. I can definitely relate to the anxieties and fears that AI has been creating but also the excitement and love for all the new tools for creation. I really appreciate the new approach that you are going to be taking with this. I am glad that your channel will not be part of the fear in my feed but a voice of positivity. Enjoy Japan!