Advocacy is a Choice, Giving Up is Not an Option
This is my story of #resilience and #advocacy, #unfiltered.
"Vulnerability is not winning or losing. It's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome." - Brené Brown
In life, we often encounter challenges that test our resolve and push us to our limits. These moments can either define us or defeat us. For many of us, especially those of us displaced by technological advancements or societal shifts, the fight to remain seen, heard, and valued is constant.
Advocacy is a choice. It’s the decision to stand up and speak out, even when the odds feel insurmountable. When companies automate jobs, when entire sectors shift to prioritize profits over people, we find ourselves at a crossroads: do we silently accept our fate, or do we raise our voices in the name of fairness, justice, and opportunity for all?
For me, advocacy isn’t just about personal gain—it’s about protecting the collective. It’s about ensuring that future generations have opportunities, that technology is used ethically, and that the voices of the marginalized are not drowned out in the noise of progress. It’s about fighting for workers' rights, ensuring that those who’ve given their lives to their professions aren’t left behind in the wake of innovation.
This lesson was made clear to me early on. My first manager at my first job in Los Angeles, ten years ago, told me something during a meeting that has stuck with me ever since. He said, “Whenever I set my mind to something, I never fail.” From that day, I realized my life would be different because I finally understood that giving up is not an option.
Receiving an official letter from the president of the United States, Joe Biden, regarding AI governance recently gave me a glimmer of hope. It reminded me that my advocacy is not in vain and that change is possible. With the election just three weeks away, I feel an even greater sense of mission. Ensuring Kamala Harris wins this election is crucial, not just for the continued prosperity of this country, but also to safeguard our democracy. I am committed to this fight because the stakes are too high to remain silent.
But with advocacy comes fatigue. There are moments when the fight feels endless, when every effort seems to fall on deaf ears. In these moments, the temptation to give up can be overwhelming. But giving up is not an option. It never has been, and it never will be.
Why? Because we can’t afford to. The future is at stake. The voices of millions depend on those of us who choose to speak up, even when it feels like no one is listening. The systems that perpetuate inequality and job displacement will only grow stronger if we remain silent. It is in our advocacy that we find strength, not just for ourselves, but for the communities we represent.
Giving up may seem like a way to escape the hardship, but it only guarantees that the injustices we face today will continue tomorrow. Advocacy is the force that keeps pushing through the darkness, a reminder that change is always possible.
In the end, advocacy is about hope. It’s about believing that despite the challenges we face, the effort to create a fairer world is worth it. It’s about understanding that change takes time, persistence, and resilience.
So, to anyone who feels like they’re fighting an uphill battle, know this: advocacy is a choice. And in making that choice, you choose not only to resist the status quo but also to build a future where no one has to fight alone.
Giving up is not an option. Not for me, and not for any of us.
At the end of my video montage above, the caption reads:
Every day as a displaced tech worker is a battle to fight for my American Dream. Despite consistently being on survival mode, facing an AI takeover and an AI silent Revolution, I am not giving up. I am not only fighting for myself but also fighting for my country and America’s future, for the values I uphold and hold dear. All I need is 7 dollars today that could change the game. I believe that something of a higher power is looking after me, and he/she/they will provide in due time. I am strong, I am confident, and I am sometimes vulnerable, but at the end of the day, I will prevail because I am a Voice For Change.
-Kevin Bihan-Poudec
Advocate for ethical AI and workforce preservation
