Ep 250: The problem with hearing “AI” and assuming your career is over

rich & REGULAR with Kiersten and Julien Saunders

rich & REGULAR with Kiersten and Julien Saunders
Ep 250: The problem with hearing “AI” and assuming your career is over
Mar 31, 2026 Episode 250

This week, we’re talking about what’s really going on in the AI layoff era, and why the way you interpret that moment matters almost as much as the layoff itself. 

If all you hear is “a robot replaced me,” it’s easy to spiral, panic pivot, and start solving the wrong problem. But if you know how to read the room, you can make smarter decisions about your career, your money, and where to go from here. 

Losing a job is already disruptive enough. The last thing you need is to turn it into a full-blown crisis about your worth. If this episode hit home, leave a review, share it with somebody who needs it, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. 

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why “because AI” doesn’t always mean a robot directly replaced your job
  • The 3 different things companies might mean when they blame AI
  • How to tell the difference between an actual workflow change and plain old cost-cutting
  • Why panic pivoting can get expensive fast
  • What to look at first if you’ve been laid off 
  • Why becoming AI-capable matters more than becoming an “AI expert”
  • How to reposition your experience without throwing away your strengths
  • Why “AI-first” language doesn’t always mean your job or industry is cooked
  • Why layoffs hit your identity so hard, and how to stop making it worse

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