After a little more than two decades working as a software engineer, making well into the six figures and even owning his own company, Jay found himself unemployed and out of a job in January, a byproduct of AI.
That began an era of loss. Job applications went unanswered. His savings dwindled while trying to keep up with his and his wife’s home in Brooklyn. He lost his car insurance. He forever gave up his confidence in the White House. “I voted for Trump,” Jay, 41, told Scene. “This is my fault.”
By August, Jay’s pride fizzled. He needed help. He applied to the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, casually known as food stamps, and got approved for $759 a month, to feed himself, his wife and their three-year-old daughter. (They used the funds mostly on pasta and frozen meatballs.)…