Early AI Believers Get Fired: A Cautionary Tale

A recent story highlights the ironic reality of the AI era. On January 25, Russian Premier League club Sochi announced that former coach Robert Moreno was dismissed for letting AI do his job.

Moreno, former coach of the Spanish national team, was an early adopter of ChatGPT for training planning. He strictly followed AI instructions: waking at 5 a.m. for training at 7 a.m., even enforcing a 28-hour no-sleep schedule. After seven matches, the team earned only one point, and Moreno left the club.

Other industries are experiencing similar trends:

• Lawyers relying on AI: A senior New York attorney delegated drafting legal briefs to ChatGPT. AI fabricated six case rulings, resulting in penalties for the lawyer and the firm. In China, lawyers are now required to review AI-assisted documents and label them accordingly.
• Programmers over-relying on AI: A Silicon Valley programmer fully depended on GitHub Copilot, avoided hands-on work, and even PUA’d juniors. He was fired for “project disruption” and “psychological harm.”
• Product managers leading AI initiatives: One manager who promoted AI adoption in Silicon Valley was laid off, as the company decided future products would be designed by AI rather than humans.

The takeaway is clear: blind trust in AI can backfire. AI offers creativity and efficiency but cannot assume responsibility. Reliable humans remain the most valuable resource.

In short: reliability is the most critical virtue in the AI era.