Google and Apple have been putting more serious machine learning accelerators in their devices for a bit now. It enables some nice features, like on-device speech-to-text and improved photo processing.
At least when the generative AI hype dies down there will still be legitimate uses for the hardware.
You should be excited at making progress, even if it’s unpaid! Working with others often opens up other opportunities.
I can relate to a ton of your story, and am trying to find work after a few years of burnout. It’s tough!