Andres Sepulveda Morales joins me to discuss his journey from three tech layoffs to founding Red Mage Creative and leading the Fort Collins chapter of the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG). We explore the current tech job market, AI anxiety in nonprofits, dark patterns in AI systems, and building inclusive tech communities that welcome diverse perspectives.
Reach out to Andres on his LinkedIn, or check out the Red Mage Creative website!
For any listeners in Colorado, consider attending an RMAIIG event: Boulder; Fort Collins
- (00:00) - Intro
- (01:04) - Andres' Journey
- (05:15) - Tech Layoff Cycle
- (26:12) - Why AI?
- (30:58) - What is Red Mage?
- (36:12) - AI as a Tool
- (41:55) - AInxiety
- (47:26) - Dark Patterns and Critical Perspectives
- (01:01:35) - RMAIIG
- (01:10:09) - Inclusive Tech Education
- (01:18:05) - Colorado AI Governance
- (01:23:46) - Building Your Own Tech Community
Links
Tech Job Market
- Layoff tracker website
- The Big Newsletter article - Why Are We Pretending AI Is Going to Take All the Jobs?
- METR preprint - Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity
- AI Business blogpost - https://aibusiness.com/responsible-ai/debunking-the-ai-job-crisis
- Crunchbase article - Data: Tech Layoffs Remain Stubbornly High, With Big Tech Leading The Way
- Computerworld article - Tech layoffs surge even as US unemployment remains stable
- Apollo Technical blogpost - Ghost jobs in tech: Why companies are posting roles they don’t plan to fill
- The HR Digest article - The Rise of Ghost Jobs Is Leaving Job Seekers Frustrated and Disappointed
- A Life After Layoff video - The Tech Job Market Is Hot Trash Right Now
- Economy Media video - Will The Tech Job Market Ever Recover?
- Soleyman Shahir video - Tech CEO Explains: The Real Reason Behind AI Layoffs
Dark Patterns
- Deceptive Design website
- Journal of Legal Analysis article - Shining a Light on Dark Patterns
- ICLR paper - DarkBench: Benchmarking Dark Patterns in Large Language Models
- Computing Within Limits paper - Imposing AI: Deceptive design patterns against sustainability
- Communications of the ACM blogpost - Dark Patterns
- [Preprint] - A Comprehensive Study on Dark Patterns
Colorado AI Regulation
- Senate Bill 24-205 (Colorado AI Act) bill and webpage
- NAAG article - A Deep Dive into Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Act
- Colorado Sun article - Why Colorado’s artificial intelligence law is a big deal for the whole country
- CFO Dive blogpost - ‘Heavy lift’: Colorado AI law sets high bar, analysts say
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!