Had to choose between a job offer from an AI weapons startup and staying at my old job

Last month, I got a job offer from a small company in Austin that builds targeting systems for drones. The pay was 40% more than my current salary. My choice was to take the money and work on tech that could hurt people, or stay where I am making less but working on medical imaging AI. I picked the medical job, even though my friends said I was crazy to turn down that much cash. It's been three weeks and I don't miss the extra money like I thought I would. Honestly, sleeping at night is easier knowing my code helps find tumors instead of guiding missiles. The hard part is seeing their ads for my old role pop up on LinkedIn. Has anyone else faced a similar choice between a high-paying AI job and their own moral line?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrewr652d ago

Wait, you said you picked the medical job. That means you stayed at your old job, right? So it's not your "old role" popping up on LinkedIn, it's the job you turned down. They're just still hiring for it. Makes it a bit easier to ignore those ads if you remember it's the one you walked away from. Good on you for sticking with your gut. Money isn't everything.

jenny_coleman1d ago

But what if that drone tech actually saves lives by avoiding civilian areas? @andrewr65 has a point about ignoring the ads, but turning down that much cash seems wild when you could donate some and still come out ahead. Sometimes the "moral" choice just costs you real opportunities.