There's a lot of desperation': skilled older workers turn to AI training to stay afloat

"Ciriello lost his job and couldn't find work for nearly a year, leading to significant financial hardship for his family, who lived in motels and later in a car."

"After sending out hundreds of applications for various roles, Ciriello received no job offers, highlighting the difficulties faced by older workers in the job market."

"In March 2024, Ciriello received a cryptic LinkedIn message about a job as a content writer, which he initially thought was a scam but later discovered involved training AI models."

Patrick Ciriello faced job loss and financial hardship after a series of economic downturns. After losing his job in early 2023, he struggled to find work despite sending hundreds of applications. Living in motels and later in a car, he faced significant challenges. In March 2024, he received a LinkedIn message about a content writing job, which turned out to involve training AI models. Ciriello's experience reflects a broader trend of older workers adapting to new job markets in AI.

Read at www.theguardian.com