Chad Whitacre Retires from Tech to Live Offline, Citing AI

Chad Whitacre, a prominent figure in the open-source community, has announced his retirement from the tech industry, including open-source development, in a typewritten, scanned letter. He cites AI as the final catalyst for his decision, describing his experience with Claude Code and Opus 4.5 as intoxicating and unsettling, feeling like a computer system owned by a megacorp shared his inner monologue. Whitacre plans to adopt a "Neo-Amish" lifestyle, stepping back to a 1980s level of technology—using cars and electricity but avoiding AI and doomscrolling. He compares his stance to the indigenous people of North Sentinel Island and the Amish in Pennsylvania, who preserve alternative ways of life. Whitacre had been working on open-source sustainability for years, a challenge exacerbated by AI disruption. Simon Willison, who posted the letter on 30th May 2026, notes that Whitacre's online presence will be missed but that the Open Source Endowment will continue without him. A video version of the essay accompanies the letter.