Former Metaverse Engineer Replaced by AI Now Works as a Food Delivery Driver to Make Ends Meet

Once a metaverse engineer earning USD 150,000 (Rs 1.28 crore), this individual now finds themselves living in a trailer and working as a food delivery driver to make ends meet. Their story exemplifies the fallout from the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Shawn Kay, a 42-year-old senior software engineer with twenty years of experience, never envisioned living in a small RV in upstate New York, relying on eBay sales and delivery gigs.

After losing his job in April, Kay has faced the harsh realities of a rapidly evolving tech landscape — while ChatGPT flourishes, once-prominent industries like the metaverse are cooling down.

“The silence wasn’t temporary this time,” Kay expressed in a Fortune report, “It’s quieter, colder, more unsettling.”

Despite sending out 800 job applications, he has received under ten interview chances, most of which were with AI systems instead of humans.

With expertise in Virtual Reality (VR), AI, and web development, Kay once thrived in innovative roles. However, the surge in generative AI has shifted the dynamics.

“I’m not anti-AI,” he clarifies. “I am an AI maximalist. I believe in its potential. But it’s being used incorrectly — replacing talent rather than enhancing it,” he stated.

He warns that the current trends are just the beginning. He perceives himself as a signal of the challenges millions may soon face as companies cut costs by replacing workers.

“It’s not about smarter machines — it’s about smaller thinking. Businesses aren’t scaling innovation. They’re shrinking ambition,” he remarks.

His concerns are substantiated by the data. Traditional interviews are being eliminated, hiring is increasingly automated, and resumes are often filtered out before reaching a human reviewer.

Now, Kay is contemplating pursuing technical certifications or obtaining a commercial driver’s license — anything to improve his earnings. Yet, even investing in skills requires funds he no longer possesses.