AI Addiction

Since the start of my career, I have found it important and feasible to unplug completely when I take time off from work. The speed with which the AI space moves is making it more difficult than ever to truly unwind.

There is a torrent of information and news released every day about exciting new developments in the field. In the past, I was not concerned about missing a killer new Postgres feature or the latest version of Go while on vacation, but with AI, it feels like I genuinely might fall behind if I go offline for a few weeks. In an informal poll, 70% of my colleagues responded that AI is making them feel more stressed. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that I am fascinated by AI and enjoy learning new things about it; I want to keep up. I feel a slight dopamine rush when I see a blog post about some cool new way to apply skills or the release of a feature like agent teams.

Another thing that keeps people hooked is the design of model subscriptions. I consume models exclusively via ad-hoc token pricing, so I don’t personally feel this, but my good friend shared with me how they spin up Claude before starting work so the token limit can be hit and reset by the time they are done with work and ready to resume their pet project. While this concrete example is not necessarily concerning, restructuring parts of one’s day around when a subscription’s token limit resets feels like a slippery slope. It takes me back to my teenage years of playing World of Warcraft, where I would stay up late into the night to complete daily quests at reset time, a decision that at the time felt natural, but in hindsight seems insane. The other day, I read a blog post where the author highlighted how they love pulling out their phone mid-hike to ensure that Claude is still working on the problem of the day. They spun this as a good thing! I am personally not excited about the prospect of being able to code¹ on a hike or the bus ride home. I need those moments to let my mind drift off to more mundane topics, lest AI and work consume my entire life.

I am by no means writing this from a high horse. Ironically, I authored this post on my work laptop while on vacation. I am still learning.