AI Replaces Metaverse Engineer: From Six-Figure Salary to Food Delivery
The feared reality is unfolding—artificial intelligence is replacing human jobs. One of its victims is a former Metaverse software engineer, now struggling to survive by delivering food and selling second-hand items online. Once earning a six-figure salary, Shawn K. now lives in a van, earning money as a food courier and through eBay sales.
Shawn is among many in the tech industry who lost their jobs due to a combination of mass layoffs and the rapid advancement of AI technologies. He fears this situation could become the new normal for many developers in the near future.
In countries like the U.S., where living costs are high and the safety net is limited, living in a van isn’t an adventurous lifestyle—it’s often seen as the last resort for low-income and displaced individuals. For Shawn, it’s now his only way to survive.
The Downfall
Shawn was laid off nearly a year ago from Virbela, a Metaverse company that claimed to build virtual environments mimicking real-world social dynamics. Virbela is a subsidiary of U.S.-based real estate firm eXp Realty.
He shared on social media:
“Different organizations adopt technology at different speeds. Ours was one of the early adopters of AI. When ChatGPT was first released, the average developer’s productivity increased by 3 to 10 times. At that point, it became clear the old way of working was no longer sustainable.”
According to Shawn, the company quickly redirected most of its resources toward integrating AI into existing products. Ironically, during this peak in AI enthusiasm, the company also laid off a large number of developers:
“I don’t know the exact number, but layoffs happened across almost all teams simultaneously.”
Is There Still a Future for Developers?
This case exposes a new reality in the tech industry, where AI is beginning to replace software developers. What once seemed like a distant possibility is now becoming commonplace. Experienced engineers are being left behind by automation, forced to survive through gig work and non-tech labor.
Today, Shawn depends on temporary jobs and isn’t sure whether he’ll ever find a place again in the tech industry. His story is a striking example of how the AI revolution is rewriting the rules—and impacting lives.
One thing is clear: many software engineers have already lost to AI.
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