AI techie joins MNC, says he has been given no work at all. Internet warns him — 'It's good until it isn't'

A newly hired artificial intelligence techie at a multinational company has set off a debate online after saying that he has not been handed any meaningful work since joining, even though he has repeatedly told his manager that he is free and ready to contribute.

The employee described his situation in a post on Reddit, writing that he had recently joined an MNC as an AI developer but was still waiting for his very first assignment to come through.

"Asked Me To Wait Until There Is Some Work"

"I have had 1 on 1 with my manager and he asked me to wait until there is some work for me," the developer wrote.

He added that he had already shared his resume, discussed his technical experience and continued to attend team update calls - but had yet to be given any tasks.

According to the post, the developer has reminded his manager more than once that he is available to take on work. Unsure of how to handle the situation, he turned to other developers with a question: should he proactively approach teammates to understand the projects already underway, or simply keep waiting for work to be assigned to him?

"Never Wait" - The Internet Responds

The post quickly drew responses from other professionals, and the dominant advice was to stop sitting still.

"Always go find managers ask them for work. Never wait. If you wait you get laid off," one user commented.

The original poster replied that he had already spoken to his manager multiple times, and said he planned to wait a few more days. “Yeah I'm doing that, revising all the things and learning new. I have asked for work, pinged him multiple times, letting him know that I'm available but to no avail,” the user replied.

Another user echoed the advice, writing: "Never wait just go ask... Also study in your free time."

The developer responded that he was already putting the idle stretch to use. "Yeah I'm doing that, revising all the things and learning new. I have asked for work, pinged him multiple times, letting him know that I'm available but to no avail," he wrote.

Others Say They Have Been Through It Too

The thread struck a chord with professionals who said they had faced something similar. One commenter claimed to have spent eight months at a company receiving only minor assignments, while being encouraged to study instead of being put on substantial projects.

Not everyone saw the situation as a problem, though. Some users pointed to the obvious upside of drawing a salary while waiting for work to materialise.

"So free salary with no work?" a user asked.

The developer's reply captured the unease running underneath the thread. "It's good until it isn't," he wrote.