Avoiding burnout in AI careers

[Bernard]

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about burnout in AI careers. I work as a junior ML engineer at a startup, and when I first got the job, I was beyond excited. I was reading research papers at night, experimenting with side projects on weekends, and trying to keep up with every new framework that popped up. At some point though, it stopped being fun and started feeling like I was constantly behind. There’s always a new model, a new tool, a new “must-learn” thing. A few weeks ago I caught myself dreading opening my laptop, which honestly scared me.
For those of you in AI or data roles, how do you avoid burning out while still staying relevant? Do you set strict boundaries, or is it more about mindset? I don’t want to lose my curiosity, but I also don’t want my whole identity to be tied to work.

 

[Bobby]

I totally get what you’re describing. I’ve been in AI for about five years now, and the pressure to “keep up” can be intense. One thing that helped me was realizing that nobody can master everything. I started focusing on one core area and letting myself ignore the noise around trends that weren’t relevant to my role.
I actually came across an article on WomenTech that talks about practical ways to stay sharp without burning yourself out — things like setting learning sprints instead of constant studying and building supportive networks. Here’s the piece if you’re curious https://www.womentech.net/breaking-ai-ml-tips-tech-savvy-women-2025 . It doesn’t feel preachy, just realistic about how fast AI moves.
Personally, I also block out “no-tech” evenings during the week. No GitHub, no papers, just normal life. It felt weird at first, but it made me more productive long term. Burnout for me wasn’t about working too many hours, it was about never mentally switching off. Once I learned to protect that space, I actually enjoyed the field again.

 

[Mary]

Reading this thread makes me think how common this is across different industries, not just AI. I’m not in tech, but I work in consulting, and the “always learning, always available” culture can wear anyone down. For me, burnout showed up as small things — trouble sleeping, feeling irritated for no reason, losing motivation for hobbies I used to enjoy.
What helped was building routines outside of work that had nothing to do with career growth. Simple stuff like regular workouts, meeting friends without talking about projects, even just walking without headphones. It sounds basic, but having something stable outside the professional bubble makes a big difference. Whatever field you’re in, it’s easy to forget that work is only one part of life.