The new language of AI tech workers

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• The emerging dialect among Silicon Valley tech workers, observed by writer Jasmine Sun, reflects a dog-eat-dog worldview driven by the fear that AI will create a divide between 'techno-kings' and a 'permanent underclass.'  Copied to clipboard!
• Key terms in this new tech dialect, such as 'high agency' (resourceful self-starters) and 'NPC' (non-player character, implying someone automatable), reveal a culture where individuals are intensely focused on proving their indispensable value amidst AI disruption.  Copied to clipboard!
• The anxiety over potential labor collapse due to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is manifesting not as political activism, but as a competitive drive, exemplified by the adoption of extreme work schedules like '996' (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) to secure a top position in the emerging AI hierarchy.  Copied to clipboard!

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AI Paradox and New Dialect

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(00:00:12)

• Key Takeaway: A paradox exists in Silicon Valley where massive AI investment coexists with difficulty for young tech workers to find jobs, leading to a new dialect reflecting competitive anxiety.
• Summary: Despite a ‘fire hose of cash’ funding AI buildout from companies like Amazon and Microsoft, young tech workers struggle to secure employment. Tech writer Jasmine Sun observes this situation has spawned a dialect revealing a ‘dog-eat-dog mindset’ among workers. This mindset drives individuals to prove they are ‘high-agency’ enough to remain at the top of the emerging AI hierarchy.

Defining High Agency

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(00:03:44)

• Key Takeaway: High agency describes an individual possessing significant personal initiative, resourcefulness, and the ability to creatively define and achieve personal goals outside of conventional paths.
• Summary: High agency is defined as having substantial personal initiative, being highly resourceful, and effectively pursuing one’s own goals without being deterred by perceived roadblocks. This contrasts with simply submitting a resume into a large application pool; it involves creative actions, like bringing a CTO’s favorite chocolates to an office. This trait is valued because drive and initiative are seen as qualities that current chatbots lack, even as intelligence becomes commodified by AI.

Understanding NPC Terminology

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(00:04:46)

• Key Takeaway: NPC, or non-player character, is used to label individuals lacking personal mission or creativity, implying they are automatable and merely background characters.
• Summary: NPC is a video game term meaning non-player character, signifying the opposite of high agency. An NPC is someone who cannot deviate from a given script, lacks personal goals, and is essentially automatable or ‘codable’ by a designer. In the context of tech workers, being called an NPC is a harsh judgment implying a lack of soul or creativity, especially when contrasted with the looming threat of advanced AI.

Permanent Underclass Anxiety

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(00:05:35)

• Key Takeaway: The concept of the ‘permanent underclass’ reflects the deep-seated belief among tech workers that labor value will collapse as capital accrues to owners, making only capital relevant.
• Summary: Jokes about the ‘permanent underclass’ suggest a belief that labor value will collapse within a few years, leaving capital as the sole determinant of success. This fear is tied to the potential arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), defined as AI capable of performing any human cognitive task, including coding, research, and creative ideation. This foreboding drives the competitive behaviors observed in the industry.

The 996 Work Culture

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(00:07:26)

• Key Takeaway: The ‘996’ schedule—working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week—is being informally adopted in San Francisco tech, originating from mandated schedules in Chinese big tech.
• Summary: 996 stands for working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, a schedule associated with poor health outcomes in Chinese tech companies. Despite previous Silicon Valley emphasis on work-life balance, this intense schedule is resurfacing as a perceived necessity to compete. This intense work ethic is seen as one way to avoid falling into the ‘permanent underclass.’

Cultural Reaction to Disruption

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(00:08:38)

• Key Takeaway: Instead of political action against inequality caused by AGI, tech culture reacts by intensifying individual competition to prove one’s place above the automated majority.
• Summary: Tech workers anticipate significant inequality created by AGI, dividing people into ‘automators’ and ’the automated.’ Rather than fostering activism, this fear prompts individuals to work harder to ensure they land on the winning side of that divide. This cultural narrative, similar to past trends following layoffs at X (formerly Twitter), influences career choices, company founding, and the hyperscaling of AI infrastructure.