@mrinank I hope the silence holds you gently and your poetry lets you breathe and recentre your mind. Write when you're ready, we will listen, we need people who've been close enough to the truth to see clearly and brave enough to walk away.
What stuck with me most wasn't the decision to leave. It was how precisely you named the pressure. Not bad faith, not malice, just misalignment under acceleration. That feels like the defining tension right now.
A lot of us recognize that feeling. Capability compounding faster than wisdom, and even the most well-intentioned cultures getting pulled toward compromise by sheer momentum.
I also appreciated that you didn't let go of poetic truth in favor of scientific truth, or treat them as opposites. That framing matters more than people tend to acknowledge, especially as we build systems that are quietly reshaping what "human" even means.
Where I keep sitting with it is less about your leaving and more about what stays. Good intentions aren't enough on their own. Integrity needs structure, real friction, limits that actually hold. That's been the focus of my own work: making sure the burden of conscience doesn't just rest on individuals who happen to care.
Still, knowing when your path is pulling elsewhere is its own kind of honesty.
I hope you get some rest and open time, and the kind of uncertainty that actually leads somewhere. Thanks for naming what it cost.
Hi Mrinank, i read the resignation mail sometime back and read this now. I agree, our words have weight and many of your words resonated with me. This AI and big world tech race has made a lot of us conscious and worried what future holds. And tbh, i dont know what race i have joined for my own survival. :/
Would love to see your perspective on the world more. Keep writing and inspiring!
Leaving a prestigious institution to write about your honest experience takes real courage. The most valuable AI perspectives often come from people who were inside the room — not as insiders defending decisions, but as thoughtful critics who’ve seen the gap between stated values and actual practice. Looking forward to reading this.
Thank you for being authentic and true to yourself in this ever unfolding adventure of life 🙏🏻 also so glad to see you quote John O’Donohue—I discovered him several years ago listening to his interview with Krista Tippet’s On Being podcast, such a gem 💎
Yeah, it's an interesting conundrum. I know some who try and work on the thorniest types technologies from a cultural perspective just to help how best they can. But I'm sure they can't win every battle, just hope to win the war.
Take the time you need, then make the impact you want to make.
Saw you/the conversation around thus on Twitter and thought it was pretty interesting, glad to see you on Substack now and look forward to hearing from you soon!
“For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length-and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.”
@mrinank I hope the silence holds you gently and your poetry lets you breathe and recentre your mind. Write when you're ready, we will listen, we need people who've been close enough to the truth to see clearly and brave enough to walk away.
Mettā to you, Mrinank.
Thank you for sharing this so openly.
What stuck with me most wasn't the decision to leave. It was how precisely you named the pressure. Not bad faith, not malice, just misalignment under acceleration. That feels like the defining tension right now.
A lot of us recognize that feeling. Capability compounding faster than wisdom, and even the most well-intentioned cultures getting pulled toward compromise by sheer momentum.
I also appreciated that you didn't let go of poetic truth in favor of scientific truth, or treat them as opposites. That framing matters more than people tend to acknowledge, especially as we build systems that are quietly reshaping what "human" even means.
Where I keep sitting with it is less about your leaving and more about what stays. Good intentions aren't enough on their own. Integrity needs structure, real friction, limits that actually hold. That's been the focus of my own work: making sure the burden of conscience doesn't just rest on individuals who happen to care.
Still, knowing when your path is pulling elsewhere is its own kind of honesty.
I hope you get some rest and open time, and the kind of uncertainty that actually leads somewhere. Thanks for naming what it cost.
— David
"Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final." :)
Good luck!
Mrinank, I was moved when I read your letter for the first time on X. I was moved again reading it here today.
I am happy you are writing here. Feels a little more relaxed space to read and respond. I look forward to more notes from you.
Wishing you the very best for whatever is to come next for you.
Hi Mrinank, i read the resignation mail sometime back and read this now. I agree, our words have weight and many of your words resonated with me. This AI and big world tech race has made a lot of us conscious and worried what future holds. And tbh, i dont know what race i have joined for my own survival. :/
Would love to see your perspective on the world more. Keep writing and inspiring!
Leaving a prestigious institution to write about your honest experience takes real courage. The most valuable AI perspectives often come from people who were inside the room — not as insiders defending decisions, but as thoughtful critics who’ve seen the gap between stated values and actual practice. Looking forward to reading this.
Kudos on making the jump. I left Google last year for a similar set of reasons, and I wrote about it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/geckods/p/googlers-can-save-the-world?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2b25ur. I know you're probably busy, but would love to grab coffee and chat about what you're doing next. Either ways, thank you for being true to your values.
Thank you for being authentic and true to yourself in this ever unfolding adventure of life 🙏🏻 also so glad to see you quote John O’Donohue—I discovered him several years ago listening to his interview with Krista Tippet’s On Being podcast, such a gem 💎
An unexpected gravitational pull.
Don't Worry, Be Happy. The way will find you. 😊
What stood out to me isn’t disagreement, but timing.
When systems accelerate faster than meaning can be metabolized, stepping back is often the most honest move.
Thank you for naming that tension so clearly.
Yeah, it's an interesting conundrum. I know some who try and work on the thorniest types technologies from a cultural perspective just to help how best they can. But I'm sure they can't win every battle, just hope to win the war.
Take the time you need, then make the impact you want to make.
Saw you/the conversation around thus on Twitter and thought it was pretty interesting, glad to see you on Substack now and look forward to hearing from you soon!
Lovely poem, and some great wisdom in your piece. I agree totally that our wisdom needs to outpace our technical ability.
I had a similar reckoning that I discuss here:
https://thegreaterstruggle.substack.com/p/the-fermi-paradox-we-probably-will
“For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length-and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.”
Carlos Castaneda