Illustrators are currently facing significant challenges due to the rise of AI technologies that dilute their unique styles and contribute to market oversaturation. The competitive landscape, combined with broader economic downturns, is forcing many artists to diversify their income and rethink their career strategies. As the industry evolves, the future remains uncertain whether these difficulties signify a temporary blip or a permanent shift.

Polish programmer Przemysław Dębiak, known as "Psyho," narrowly defeated OpenAI's AI model in a 10-hour coding marathon at the AtCoder World Tour Finals 2025, scoring 1.8 trillion points to the AI's 1.65 trillion. This competition, highlighting the tension between human creativity and AI efficiency, was seen as a significant moment for human achievement in programming.