In the AI era, competition is not about working harder but switching tracks: education, mining, and fintech are all being forced to rewrite their growth models.

Summary: Chegg soared during online-education demand, then AI tools disrupted its model, triggering massive layoffs and a collapse below $2, with broader AI-driven shifts hitting crypto miners and fintech firms.

Abstract: This article examines Chegg's rise as a pandemic-era edtech darling and its ensuing decline amid the rapid adoption of generative AI, which provides quick answers and undercuts Chegg's value proposition. It documents 2025 layoffs and the stock's plunge toward delisting, and frames Chegg's experience within a broader AI disruption reshaping tech and crypto: Bitcoin miners pivot to AI operations, and AI-native strategies redefine competitiveness in fintech and beyond.