Warmly glowing light bulb in a cozy room, symbolizing a spark of insight and a shift in perspective.

The Thing I Swore I’d Never Use

Observations| Thoughtful Tech

April 14, 2024•4 min read

previously posted as "From AI Skeptic to Evangelist" in April 2024

Ever do the thing you once swore you’d never do?

I did. (And, it involved a light bulb, of all things.)

But the story starts earlier than that—back when I was still side-eyeing anything that called itself “smart.”

Let Me Be Honest

I didn’t trust it.

Not Alexa. Not Google. Not even T9 predictions (did I just age myself?). Not the auto-suggestions that pop up when you search for anything online or on your phone. It was too nosy. Too “big brother.” Too… something. I couldn’t always name it, but I felt it in my body.

And yes, I was that person who actually read the privacy policies (still do).

The tech didn’t scare me. But the way it asked for trust without offering any sure did.

So, I kept it simple. I stayed away.

Until I Didn’t

There was no dramatic shift that led me to become an AI consultant.

It was subtle. You might even laugh, but I’ll share anyway.

I bought a pack of Philips Hue bulbs.

Yep, a light bulb. Two came in the pack, but I only used one at first. My needs were pretty basic.

I wanted to turn a light on or off from bed.

That was it. (World changing, I know.)

Then a friend mentioned I could sync it to music, so I tried it. Just to see. And I had a blast.

Then I set it to ease into a “wind-down” mode after a long day.

Then I layered in a morning routine.

Soft, strobing glow for at home dance parties.

The bulb became a vibe.

Then it became a system.

Using one bulb became using two bulbs which then turned into four. Pretty soon, it became more than just light bulbs.

Here’s What Caught Me Off Guard

This new system added something to my life I didn’t expect.

I know that sounds strange. But these simple routines became one less thing to think about:

Lights came on when I walked into my apartment after work.
Reading light transition faded at bedtime.
No more fumbling in the dark in the middle of the night.
Gentle, gradual wake-ups.

That setup felt like the big red “easy” button from Staples (did I age myself again? Smh). Anyway, it made me wonder—what else have I written off too quickly?

Flashback: Me, at Work

As a UX researcher, I was trained to observe, not influence. We stay neutral. Ask questions. Stay out of the story. But after a while, that distance started to feel like a wall.

I was asking about experiences I’d never had—watching people use tools I hadn’t dared to try.

I thought being an outsider to the tech kept me grounded. But then I noticed it was starting to hold me back.

So I broke my own rule about “smart” tech and bought those Hue bulbs. I played. I tested. I tinkered.

And something shifted.

I wasn’t studying the experience from the outside anymore — I was living it. I had a point of reference I never had before.

I could speak the language. I still had objectivity, but now I also had first-hand context to build rapport.

From Tech to Trust

I didn’t immediately fall in love with AI.

That’s not what this is.

What happened was quieter—and honestly, more important.

I found a rhythm that matched me. And that rhythm helped me write more clearly, design more intuitively, get more done, and rest more deeply. That made me fall in love with AI.

No hype to buy into. No instant genius claims to persuade me.

Just a slow sync between curiosity and clarity.

That’s why I now teach and work with people who want to use AI in ways that feel right for them.