AI's yearly panic is back. Here's what everyone's getting right and wrong about it.

<p>Every summer since 2023, AI gets a panic season — critics say that AI&#39;s novelty i novelty&#39;s wearing off, the models have hit a wall, ninety-five percent of projects fail. </p><p>Each time it dominates for a few months, then dissolves. This year&#39;s arrived early, kicked off by Uber burning through its entire 2026 AI budget in four months with a COO who can&#39;t prove it was worth it. </p><p>But 2026&#39;s AI bubble panic is different, and not for the reason the coverage thinks: forty-five percent of the S&amp;P 500 is now riding on AI working out. Same pattern as every year — much higher stakes.</p><p>In this episode of In The Loop, I&#39;m pulling apart the three fears behind this year&#39;s AI panic — the AI ROI crisis, the jobs fear, and the market concentration risk — and giving each one a straight verdict.</p><p>I walk through the Uber rollout numbers, why Sam Altman and Dario Amodei are walking back their job-apocalypse predictions, and why the market fear is the one I find hardest to dismiss. The question isn&#39;t whether the panic is right. It&#39;s what&#39;s getting clearer while everyone&#39;s distracted by it.</p><p>⏭️ Episode highlights</p><p>(01:10) – The panic that arrives every summer</p><p>(02:50) – Uber&#39;s 95/70/11 rollout numbers</p><p>(05:00) – Why ROI is a measurement problem</p><p>(07:30) – Top earners are the most scared</p><p>(09:15) – Altman and Amodei walk it back</p><p>(11:30) – Is this 1999? Circular financing explained</p><p>(13:40) – The price signal the panic keeps missing</p><p>(15:10) – What to actually take from this</p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share. It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends.</p><p>🤝 We&#39;re social</p><p>Stay in the loop, even when you&#39;re not listening to this podcast.</p><ul><li>Jack Houghton LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-houghton1/</a></li><li>TikTok - @jackschats</li></ul><p>Mindset AI</p><ul><li>Mindset AI website - <a href="https://bit.ly/40lJr6B">https://bit.ly/40lJr6B</a></li><li>Newsletter - <a href="https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter">https://bit.ly/ITLnewsletter</a></li><li>LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindset-ai/</a></li><li>YouTube - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI">https://www.youtube.com/@GetMindsetAI</a></li><li>TikTok - @get.mindset.ai</li></ul>