The article seems to focus on working too much due to fear of competition. I would add that working in a fast-paced field (the author is doing ML at the Vector Institute) can feel like you're always in competition, but that it's important to remind yourself that you can choose your topic of research (if you have some horrible advisor that dictates what you do, I'm sorry, but recommend you find someone / someplace else). Even within ML, there are tons of pockets that nobody is really working on. That does make it harder to publish though, as your work will be "weird" or "not very hot".
tl;dr: people should choose topics and fields that fit their desired work profile. If you decide to compete in a heavily competitive subject, expect a competitive environment.