Listen on Apple Podcasts. Box founder Aaron Levie got us talking this week with a social media post suggesting tech CEOs are “uniquely prone to AI psychosis.” Read more here.

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I tried to unpack Levie’s comment. He isn’t disavowing AI tools. Instead, he thinks CEOs need to actually use those tools to understand them. This opinion is rather gentle when compared to the broader anti-AI backlash. You can see it in college graduates booing AI, tech layoffs, or the increase in DuckDuckGo installs after Google brought more AI to its search experience.

Tension Over AI in Search and User Preferences

Kirsten suggested Google has a dilemma. It is “chasing that thing it feels like it has to do to keep up, but it’s messing with the thing that people attach to the brand the most, and it’s not improving it.” Broadly, she wondered if this anti-AI moment could be an opportunity for startups.

Anthony Ha pointed out how polarizing AI actually is. You can feel a bit crazy discussing AI, since so many people both love and hate it at the same time. Looking at Google’s recent AI announcements, a shift is clear. While AI is becoming a bigger part of search, Google is also trying to reassure those who still want the classic “10 blue links” style. Yet, many users aren’t excited about where Google is headed. DuckDuckGo has said installs are up 30% since these announcements. Of course, DuckDuckGo is far smaller than Google, so Google is not at risk immediately, but this increase highlights a significant audience that dislikes the AI direction in search.

Sean O’Kane notes that while most major AI labs are consolidating their approaches, Google stands out. They are vague and unfocused, discussing commercial features like shopping instead of doubling down on the core information retrieval experience users crave. These shifts cause confusion and defensive moves. To make matters worse, Google sometimes tests its AI features publicly before resolving long-standing issues, such as the famous spelling error: their AI couldn’t even spell “Google” correctly.

Kirsten commented on this tension further. She wonders whether the current anti-AI sentiment is driving users to alternatives and if this creates a window of opportunity for startups or other business models that haven’t fully emerged yet.

Workforce Impact and CEO Perspectives on AI

Anthony thinks building products tailored for AI skeptics will likely alienate tech evangelists. At the moment, for example, DuckDuckGo is capitalizing on its anti-AI positioning. Interestingly, a year ago, even alternative search engines were experimenting with AI. Now, some are shifting to actively market themselves as the opposite, separating any AI elements from the main user experience.

Kirsten argues that not all tech CEOs are pushing AI thoughtlessly. Aaron Levie stands out by diagnosing a unique “AI psychosis” that affects tech CEOs. He believes tech executives are sufficiently distant from the actual work required to extract value from AI, making them susceptible to hype. Kirsten wonders if other CEOs agree and how AI adoption is affecting the workforce. AI isn’t just causing layoffs—it’s also changing how work is done across industries.

Sean points out that many companies he covers work in transportation and related fields. AI’s effects have been slower there compared to software, but that’s starting to change. More AI is being used in robotics and manufacturing. However, the most rapid changes are definitely happening in software, directly affecting developers’ roles.

Anthony brings up a key debate: are AI-driven changes in companies coming from the top down, or are they bottom up? Traditionally, new tools were adopted by employees, with management catching up later. Now, many AI productivity dreams originate from executives and VCs, who are excited by the prospect of small teams outperforming much larger ones. Levie’s point is if you aren’t close to the actual work, you may not understand where the value truly is. Real understanding requires hands-on experience, not just reviewing slides and projections.

Kirsten concludes by noting there’s real evidence these AI-driven tools are impacting companies—resulting in layoffs and reshaping jobs. Both realities are true: AI is changing the workforce and companies are still figuring out what genuine value it brings.

Tags: AI, Psikoza e inteligjencës artificiale, Teknologji, CEO dhe drejtues, Polarizimi i përdoruesve, Ndikimi në vendet e punës