- In a Business Insider article published on October 18, 2026, Santiago Barraza Lopez shared his experience of burnout after spending two years transitioning from law to AI, despite initially believing it was the right career move.
- As a former lawyer, the author was accustomed to the idea that professional knowledge and expertise accumulate over time. However, AI has fundamentally changed how professional competence is evaluated.
- After a conversation with ChatGPT, the author landed a job at a legal technology company, where he tested advanced AI models, compared their capabilities, and researched their applications in the legal industry.
- Initially, the job made him feel ahead of the curve. But new AI models and products kept emerging every few weeks, quickly making the knowledge he had just acquired obsolete.
- The author once spent weeks developing a solution, only to watch a new AI model solve the same problem in minutes. As a result, the value of his learning and research efforts quickly diminished.
- The pressure to stay updated did not end after working hours. News, social media, and everyday conversations constantly revolved around AI, leaving him exhausted and afraid of missing new developments.
- This experience led him to question whether professional expertise still meant keeping up with every new technology or whether the ability to adapt to change mattered more.
- Eventually, the author deliberately disconnected outside working hours, accepted that he would miss some information, and stopped trying to know everything about AI.
📌 After two years working in AI, Santiago Barraza Lopez realized that gaining early access to technology does not mean being able to keep pace with its development. Knowledge and solutions that take weeks to build can become obsolete after a single new model launch. He does not regret changing careers, but has chosen to accept uncertainty, set boundaries around his personal time, and prioritize adaptability over constantly following every AI advancement.
