Are Millennials Having a Midlife Crisis?

Inspired by a recent article in The Cut, we discuss why so many people in their 30s and 40s are feeling lost, stuck or uncertain about the future. Despite having 15-20 years of experience, many are finding themselves unemployed, searching for work for months at a time, or questioning careers and identities they spent decades building. From there, we dive into artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing sense that we're being told to embrace a future that nobody actually signed up to. We talk about leaked comments from Mark Zuckerberg, the increasing pressure from tech leaders and celebrities to "get on board" and a recent New York Times article exploring why college commencement speakers touting AI are being met with boos from graduates. Rather than excitement, many students seem to be responding with skepticism, anxiety and a sense that they're inheriting a job market already being reshaped beneath their feet. But is any of this as inevitable as we're being told? We discuss previous technological revolutions (from crypto to blockchain) that were once presented as world-changing certainties, and whether AI could follow a more complicated path than its biggest advocates predict. Leave a comment, like and subscribe, or share this episode with a friend! To stay up to date with all things Piffle, follow us on Instagram or TikTok @piffleproductions, or email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. Music by Michael and Tilly. Articles discussed: Midlife Crisis-ing in the End-times It's No Wonder Grads Are Booing Their Commencement Speakers Digital arson spree by ‘AI Bonnie and Clyde’ raises fears over autonomous tech Also mentioned: Our previous episode on Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams