{"id":90505,"date":"2026-02-21T01:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T09:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/?p=90505"},"modified":"2026-02-25T08:38:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T16:38:03","slug":"black-coffee-21-feb-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/id90505-black-coffee-21-feb-2026.html","title":{"rendered":"Black Coffee: Rise of the Machines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe<\/em> …<\/p>\n

Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance.<\/p>\n

Well… another busy week is behind us. So with that in mind, let’s get this party started!<\/p>\n

The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2013 BF Skinner<\/strong><\/p>\n

Credits and Debits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Credit:<\/strong><\/span> Did you see this? After the $7500 electric vehicle (EV) tax credit ended in September 2025, the trajectory of EV sales in the US went into reverse<\/a>, falling to just 234,000 units last quarter \u2013 that\u2019s a 46% decrease compared to the prior quarter. As we strongly suspected, the only thing sustaining the mass appeal of EVs was the tax incentive. Then again, it doesn\u2019t help that people are also struggling just to make ends meet \u2013 unlike back in the good ol’ days…<\/p>\n

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Debit:<\/strong><\/span> Hey… if you think working in a quarry<\/strong><\/em> is tough work, consider this: It\u2019s no secret that the tech sector suffers from high turnover rates<\/a> due to high-stress environments that often involve complex tasks, unrealistic timelines, and job instability. In fact, the average rate of talent churn in the tech sector approximately 16%. For the tech industry, this is a serious concern if only because replacing tech talent can cost as much as 150% of a worker\u2019s salary. Meanwhile, in the cosmetology industry…<\/p>\n

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h\/t: @Spillthememes<\/p><\/div>\n

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Debit:<\/strong><\/span> Of course, one of biggest tech industry focus points is artificial intelligence (AI). With that in mind, Dario Amodei \u2013 who leads AI developer Anthropic \u2013 is now predicting that AI will eliminate 50%<\/a> of entry-level white-collar jobs within one to five years. Now for the punchline: Many people in the AI industry believe he’s being conservative<\/strong><\/em>. Uh oh.<\/p>\n

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Gary Larson \u2013 The Far Side<\/p><\/div>\n

Debit:<\/strong><\/span> On the bright side, while the capability for massive employment disruption could indeed be here by the end of this<\/strong><\/em> year, it’ll take some time to ripple through the economy. That being said, the underlying ability of AI to displace an enormous number of human jobs is arriving now<\/a>. The good news is, life will<\/strong><\/em> carry on. If you don\u2019t believe us, just ask the people who used to depend on this: <\/strong><\/em>(er, if there are any still alive)…<\/p>\n