Kelly Supports Mark Consuelos as He Shares the Devastating News of His Father’s Passing on LIVE, Turning a Routine Broadcast Into an Emotional Moment That Leaves Viewers Heartbroken. What Begins as a Normal Segment Quickly Becomes a Raw and Personal Revelation, as He Opens Up About Loss While Fighting Back Emotion On Air. Now Fans Are Deeply Moved by the Couple’s Strength and Unity, as This Powerful Moment Spreads Across Social Media.
LIVE with Kelly and Mark co-anchor Mark is one of three children of Camilla and Saul Consuelos, with the latter passing away earlier this year
It’s a difficult time for Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos coming out of spring break.
Upon their return to New York City and LIVE with Kelly and Mark on Monday, April 6, Mark, 55, shared with the studio audience that his father Saul Consuelos had passed away in March.
“Two weeks ago today, my father passed away after a long bout with an illness. He passed away peacefully,” he told the crowd, with Kelly, also 55, leaning over to support him.
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Mark Consuelos’ father Saul Consuelos [far right] passed away a few days into spring break
“Such a fascinating man,” Mark continued, with Kelly choking up as she elaborated on how loving and intellectual her father-in-law was, calling her husband “lucky” to have him for all of his life while she only knew him for 31 of those years.
“But they were the best 31 years of my life,” she continued. “I can honestly say I will miss him every day for the rest of my life, as I know you will, as our children will. He was the greatest person I’ve ever known. He really is so symbolic of everything you are.”
Kelly especially noted that it had hit their three children quite hard. The All My Children alums share sons Michael and Joaquin, and daughter Lola, with the mom-of-three acknowledging that their kids were lucky to still have three of their grandparents in their lives, while she was left without any by age eight.
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“I used to make a joke about my dad, if you asked him what time it was, he’d tell you how to build a watch.”
Mark recalled some of the “lectures” he’d get from his dad, including anecdotes like: “I used to make a joke about my dad, if you asked him what time it was, he’d tell you how to build a watch.”
The Riverdale star opened up about his father’s past, calling him a “prime example” of an immigrant in the United States and “what this country promises people,” adding: “He came here from Mexico in his early teens.”
“He immigrated here from Mexico, he served his country for 30 years. Ended up in special ops command in Tampa. This young kid from Mexico just got his education through the Navy, was always going to school,” he continued. “And he loved this country so much.”
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The actor has two other siblings, who’re now trying to care for their mom Camilla Consuelos
Mark noted that now it was time for him and his siblings to “take care” of their mother Camilla Consuelos, explaining that he was trying to convince her to move to New York and even jokingly proposed a “Cooking with Camilla” segment on LIVE to their producer Michael Gelman sitting off-screen.
The actor further mentioned that he was grateful to be able to go home and say goodbye to his father, with the death occurring while he was in rehearsals for his play Fallen Angels, currently playing on Broadway.
He called the production a “welcome distraction” and something that allowed him to focus his energy elsewhere instead of just grieving. “I knew I had to keep on going, especially during that time. It’s been great. I had such a good time doing it. I know he’s there watching and he’s able to be part of that.”
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Kelly noted that the news was particularly hard for their three kids, Michael, Lola and Joaquin
Kelly emotionally closed the segment out by saying to her husband: “You’re the strongest person I know, you continually inspire me every day. And all of the good things that I love about you, I loved those same things about your dad.”
The Invisible Bench: Software Engineers in the Era of Generative AI
By AI Correspondent
Not long ago, a software engineer with a few years of experience could update their LinkedIn profile and expect a flood of messages from eager recruiters within the hour. Today, that same engineer is more likely to be sitting on the "invisible bench"—unemployed, meticulously refining their resume, and watching as the industry they love rapidly transforms without them.
The widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence has irrevocably altered the landscape of software development. While the narrative often focuses on the awe-inspiring capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs), a quieter, more painful story is unfolding among the thousands of developers who find themselves sidelined in an increasingly automated workforce.
The Identity Crisis of the Modern Maker
For decades, the appeal of software engineering was deeply rooted in craftsmanship. Developers were the ultimate modern makers, building complex, interactive worlds from blank screens and sheer logic.
Now, the arrival of AI coding assistants has triggered a profound identity crisis, particularly for those currently out of work.
The Devaluation of Craft: Tasks that once required deep concentration and technical elegance—such as writing complex algorithms or debugging intricate networks of code—can now be solved with a well-structured prompt. Unemployed developers are grappling with the realization that the specific hard skills they spent thousands of hours perfecting are rapidly depreciating in value.
The Emotional Toll: The transition from being a highly sought-after "architect" to feeling obsolete takes a heavy toll on mental health. Tech forums are filled with stories of developers experiencing severe imposter syndrome, anxiety, and a loss of purpose as they compete not just against other humans, but against tireless algorithms.
The Rise of the Hyper-Lean Company
The struggles of unemployed developers are compounded by a fundamental shift in how tech companies operate. The era of "growth at all costs"—which drove massive hiring sprees—has been replaced by a mandate for efficiency. AI is the engine powering this new paradigm.
Startups and established enterprises alike have discovered the power of the "hyper-lean" team.
Doing More with Less: A team of three senior engineers, augmented by advanced AI tools, can now output the same volume of code as a traditional team of ten.
The Missing Rungs: This efficiency means companies no longer have the bandwidth or the financial incentive to hire junior or mid-level developers to handle routine coding tasks. The bottom rungs of the career ladder have essentially been sawed off, leaving entry-level and transitioning developers with no clear path into the industry.
The New Currency: Architecture and Empathy
Despite the gloomy outlook, human developers are not being entirely erased; rather, the definition of a "developer" is being aggressively rewritten. To get off the bench, unemployed programmers are realizing they must evolve past simply writing code.
The new currency in the tech job market involves skills that AI currently lacks:
Systems Thinking and Architecture: AI can write a brilliant function, but it struggles to design a cohesive, secure, and scalable system across multiple cloud environments. Developers who can architect the "big picture" remain highly valuable.
Product and Business Acumen: The gap between human needs and technical execution is wider than ever. Engineers who deeply understand business logic, user experience, and market fit are becoming indispensable translators between AI outputs and human requirements.
Human-in-the-Loop Management: As AI generates more code, companies need senior-level oversight to audit, secure, and maintain that code. The role of the developer is shifting from "typist" to "editor and auditor."
Navigating the Chasm
We are currently in a messy transitional chasm. The technology has advanced faster than the workforce can adapt, leaving a trail of skilled, passionate professionals in a state of professional limbo.
The software engineers sitting on the invisible bench today are not victims of a lack of ambition or talent; they are caught in the crosshairs of a generational technological shift. As the industry continues to integrate AI, it must also take responsibility for this displaced workforce. Fostering new training pathways, redefining entry-level roles for the AI era, and providing mental health support are not just ethical imperatives—they are essential steps to ensure the tech industry retains the human ingenuity it will always need.
