root / tags / burnout
2 fiches
Rethinking open source contribution in the face of "AI slop" - Signal vs noise
Philippe Ensarguet
A press review by Courrier International (bylined Martin Gauthier) aggregating the NYT, San Francisco Standard, Wall Street Journal, and Wired to document the spread of the **"996" schedule** — working **9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week (72 hours)** — across California tech. A norm imported from China, 996 is becoming "the hot topic of the moment" in Silicon Valley, driven by young AI startup founders who turn it into an **ascetic lifestyle**: "no alcohol, no drugs, 996, the gym… watching your sleep, eating steak and eggs." The stated driver is the **rush on AI**: capturing market share and getting rich *before* AGI arrives, for fear of sinking into a "permanent underclass." The article also documents the flip side: financial incentives (Fella & Delilah: +25% salary), a warning about **noncompliance with US labor law**, and a reminder that the Cour suprême chinoise ruled 996 illegal — a practice linked to protests, accusations of "modern-day slavery," and worker deaths. Domain: tech work culture, working conditions, sociology of AI startups, the race to AGI.
Martin Gauthier (Courrier International)