Box founder Aaron Levie sparked widespread discussion this week with a social media post describing tech CEOs as "uniquely prone to AI psychosis." The comment was examined on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, where hosts Anthony Ha, Kirsten Korosec, and Sean O'Kane dissected what Levie meant. Rather than outright rejecting AI tools, Levie emphasized that company leaders need to actually use these tools themselves to truly understand them—a more measured critique than the more aggressive pushback emerging elsewhere in the industry. The discussion highlighted several signs of a broader backlash against AI adoption. College graduates have been booing any mention of AI during commencement speeches, while the tech industry's recent wave of layoffs has generated negative sentiment around the technology. Perhaps most notably, search engine DuckDuckGo reported that its installs jumped 30% following Google's announcement that it would integrate more AI into its search experience. While Google remains dominant and faces no immediate threat, the migration signals growing dissatisfaction with the direction the tech giant is heading. Kirsten Korosec pointed out what she sees as Google's fundamental dilemma: the company is "chasing that thing it feels like it has to do to keep up, but it's messing with the thing that people attach to the brand the most, and it's not improving it." The hosts also speculated about whether this anti-AI sentiment could create openings for startups and smaller competitors. Anthony Ha noted the paradox that AI remains simultaneously beloved and hated—large groups exist on both sides of the debate, with people using tools they claim to despise or refusing tools they quietly rely on. Google has attempted to soften its AI-focused direction, reassuring users that traditional search results (the "10 blue links" experience) would still be available as an option. The conversation on the podcast explored whether this wave of AI skepticism represents a genuine market opportunity or merely temporary resistance to inevitable technological change.