I have mixed feelings about remote work, given that I worked remotely during COVID and have been working in a hybrid environment for over five years. On one ha

I have mixed feelings about remote work, given that I worked remotely during COVID and have been working in a hybrid environment for over five years. On one hand I feel a stronger sense of camaraderie in the office, and I also feel that spontaneous collaborations are easier. I think there are certain types of projects and missions where fostering a collegial atmosphere is essential to their success, and I understand where Sam Altman is coming from. On the other hand, the costs of commuting and living within commute distance from a job center are immense. I make six figures as a non-FAANG, non-unicorn AI researcher working in Silicon Valley and live comfortably, if not lavishly, in a one-bedroom apartment as a single adult, yet in terms of purchasing a home even a one-bedroom condo would be difficult for me to afford. I could afford a home in the Central Valley, but then I’d be facing a 4-6 hour round-trip commute. I could move to a smaller tech hub like Seattle or Austin where I have better housing options, but finding similar CS research positions may be more challenging. A healthy ecosystem of employers offering remote positions frees employees from having to live in expensive metro areas, and it also frees them from the anxiety of facing an abrupt move back to an expensive tech hub should a job loss happen. Housing is a serious mess in this country, especially in Silicon Valley, and I wish the leaders of tech companies had more sympathy for their employees instead of just assuming that employees would make whatever personal sacrifices necessary to join or remain part of the company.