Knowledge workers face existential burnout in AI age

The existential crisis in tech isn't just about AI replacing jobs, but about AI exposing how much of modern corporate knowledge work was already performative and disconnected from tangible outcomes.

• –The psychological shift from economic worry to existential doubt shows how deeply tech identity was tied to the belief of doing meaningful work.
• –Analog hobbies provide immediate physical feedback and complete craft ownership that modern multi-tiered corporate software pipelines lack.
• –Generative AI acts as a mirror, forcing knowledge workers to confront whether their daily output actually creates value or merely sustains administrative overhead.