A software engineer recently dropped a bombshell story on Reddit that’s shaking the tech world! Posted under the catchy title “Feeling the Burn of AI in a Weird Way at My Workplace” on r/developersIndia, this tale reveals a scary trend. Instead of AI making work easier, it’s being used by some companies to push workers harder — and take their money too. Here’s the twist: The engineer works at a product startup where the bosses got excited about a paid AI coding assistant. They asked the entire development team to buy a $20 per month subscription. The team was told, “Don’t worry, you’ll get this money back soon.” Trusting their bosses, most developers paid from their own pockets for two months. But plot thickens! When reimbursement time came, the bosses pulled a surprise. They said, "You must prove how you used the AI tool! Show us your detailed reports, the unit tests you created, and how much your coding improved." Only those who could justify their AI use got their money back. This sudden change confused and frustrated the whole team, turning what should have been a tech upgrade into a nightmare. The employees felt trapped. They were forced to spend their own money on company work and then had to jump through bureaucratic hoops to get it back. One simple AI tool became a symbol of unfair treatment. The story struck a chord on Reddit. Many tech workers shared their own bitter experiences. Comments flooded in calling the company’s move “unethical” and “bizarre.” One user said, “How can a company ask workers to pay for software needed for official work and then make them fight for reimbursement?” Another expressed shock at how easily bosses exploit employees under the banner of innovation. This story isn’t just about one startup. It highlights a bigger problem in today’s workplaces — companies using shiny new AI tools not to help staff, but to squeeze more work and money out of them. In the race to adopt AI, are companies forgetting fairness and respect for their employees? The Reddit post definitely sparked a fiery debate and shone a light on this worrying trend.