Layoffs to Leadership w/ Andres Sepulveda Morales

Andres Sepulveda Morales joins me to discuss his journey from three tech layoffs to founding Red Mage Creative and leading the Fort Collins chapter of the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG). We explore the current tech job market, AI anxiety in nonprofits, dark patterns in AI systems, and building inclusive tech communities that welcome diverse perspectives.Reach out to Andres on his LinkedIn, or check out the Red Mage Creative website!For any listeners in Colorado, consider attending an RMAIIG event: Boulder; Fort Collins(00:00) - Intro (01:04) - Andres' Journey (05:15) - Tech Layoff Cycle (26:12) - Why AI? (30:58) - What is Red Mage? (36:12) - AI as a Tool (41:55) - AInxiety (47:26) - Dark Patterns and Critical Perspectives (01:01:35) - RMAIIG (01:10:09) - Inclusive Tech Education (01:18:05) - Colorado AI Governance (01:23:46) - Building Your Own Tech Community LinksTech Job MarketLayoff tracker websiteThe Big Newsletter article - Why Are We Pretending AI Is Going to Take All the Jobs?METR preprint - Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer ProductivityAI Business blogpost - https://aibusiness.com/responsible-ai/debunking-the-ai-job-crisisCrunchbase article - Data: Tech Layoffs Remain Stubbornly High, With Big Tech Leading The WayComputerworld article - Tech layoffs surge even as US unemployment remains stableApollo Technical blogpost - Ghost jobs in tech: Why companies are posting roles they don’t plan to fillThe HR Digest article - The Rise of Ghost Jobs Is Leaving Job Seekers Frustrated and DisappointedA Life After Layoff video - The Tech Job Market Is Hot Trash Right NowEconomy Media video - Will The Tech Job Market Ever Recover?Soleyman Shahir video - Tech CEO Explains: The Real Reason Behind AI LayoffsDark PatternsDeceptive Design websiteJournal of Legal Analysis article - Shining a Light on Dark PatternsICLR paper - DarkBench: Benchmarking Dark Patterns in Large Language ModelsComputing Within Limits paper - Imposing AI: Deceptive design patterns against sustainabilityCommunications of the ACM blogpost - Dark Patterns[Preprint] - A Comprehensive Study on Dark PatternsColorado AI RegulationSenate Bill 24-205 (Colorado AI Act) bill and webpageNAAG article - A Deep Dive into Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence ActColorado Sun article - Why Colorado’s artificial intelligence law is a big deal for the whole countryCFO Dive blogpost - ‘Heavy lift’: Colorado AI law sets high bar, analysts sayDenver 7 article - Colorado could lose federal funding as Trump administration targets AI regulationsAmerica's AI Action Plan documentOther SourcesConcordia Framework report and repo80,000 Hours websiteAI Incident Database website