"how long they'll still pay well"

1) But can they pay you in the altcoin of your choice and what altcoin would that be?

2) Then have other disillusioned/perplexed/frustrated tech bros follow your processes and choices including using crypto debit cards.

3) Foster uptake with non-techies.

4) Embed the altcoin into real-world assets (tokenization) including the ones you own.

5) Wait for the altcoin value to explode.

Problem solved - well the problem isn't really financial or "AI" - it's communal and lack of shared vision which propagates wealth inequality.