Yang Michelle, the founder of Matcha House Cafe in New York, quit her software engineering job after witnessing the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence. In January 2025, Travis Dilombardi-Spicer, 30, quit his audio production job on the spot after his request for a raise was denied. He believed that AI might eventually replace his position, and rather than waiting to be laid off while holding a full-time and part-time job with a combined annual salary of about $75,000, he chose to take proactive action.