The real shame here is that the fall-out won’t be as sudden and the people who ought to be getting the brunt of it will manage to squirm out of any responsibility.

Thank you for the wise way of putting this, because I was getting excited with the whole "too subtle and sudden approach of justice to escape it" opposite emotion-driven interpretation, where dangerous fools always escape justice with some scratches, leaving others to suffer, but this time they will get complacent. Like with debt or with antivaxxer ideas.

While I get what you're saying, you don't actually need POTS service on a copper line to have DSL work. I used to sell DSL circuits without telephony services in one of my first technology jobs. We'd order "dry circuits" and pipe data only through Copper Mountain or Paradyne branded gear (pretty sure both companies are dead now). Most telephone companies wouldn't let you do this because they wanted to prop up POTS line sales, not because it was technically necessary.

They don't. It's just that only the worst ones make the news.

Although there have also been a bunch of "project bans all AI contributions" stories as well.

Don't worry, the bubble pop will make it much harder for companies to afford doing this.

Current estimate, based off the financial side of the AI industry, is mid 2027 or earlier.

Look up Ed Zitron if you are interested in following the current situation.

At the same time AI-transitioning companies are not those under whom the control is being centralized, all those managers don't seem to understand this. If demand for developers and their negotiating position against employers is eroding due to this technology, then so is that of those employers against their customers.

Meaning, of course, that there will be changes in demand for tech workers in the world even after the bubble burst. I'm mentally prepared to try myself in trades. Woodworking is nice. All the dangers of losing your fingers or getting git in the head with something heavy, accompanying construction jobs, are sad, while construction is cool.

As much as I hate the ongoing “AI” scam, and as many hours as I've wasted on Bethesda's games (or on modding them), in Bethesda's case (especially modern Bethesda) I actually believe the slop machine might actually be an improvement.

At least the code for the unofficial patches will be in its training set, which is a start...