In California, enthusiasm for artificial intelligence is waning, particularly among students and engineers, as job cuts and democratic risks increase. Ellen Yang, a 23-year-old Stanford graduate, began her job search in 2025 after completing a degree in English and linguistics. Despite prior tech marketing experience, she sent out hundreds of applications but received only AI-generated rejections and could not get an interview. In San Francisco, several tech companies stopped hiring or laid people off, and many of her classmates struggled. Yang described the mood as "pretty grim."