May 2026 · Articles · AI · research · tools · talks

AI Can Do My Job Now (Sort Of) (Not Really) (It's Complicated)

A user researcher's complicated relationship with AI

I gave this at Drupal South in Wellington in May 2026. There’s a recording on YouTube. The slides are below, with a transcript on every one.

I’ve been doing user research for about fifteen years, across government, health, disability and education. For most of that time research was expensive, slow, and gated behind process and methodological rigour. The rigour was there for good reasons, but it also meant a lot of teams simply couldn’t do research, or couldn’t do enough of it.

AI is changing that fast. Synthesis, first-pass analysis and drafting that used to take days can happen in hours. Research that would have been too expensive for a project is suddenly possible, and that’s worth being excited about.

I’ve also watched AI get things confidently wrong in ways that are hard to spot unless you already know what good research looks like. That’s the tension the talk sits in. If AI makes research reachable for teams who couldn’t afford it before, but those teams don’t have the experience to know when the output is rubbish, are we better off?

So the talk covers the tools I actually use and where they’re good, what I’m still worried about, and the parts of the job I’m not willing to hand over. The conversations with people. The judgement about what matters against what’s noise. The “so what” of turning findings into something a team can act on.

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Slide 1 of 41

AI can do my job now

(sort of)

(not really)

(it’s complicated)

A USER RESEARCHER’S COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH AI Billie-Mae Kennedy · Drupal South Wellington 2026 · 13 May
Slide 1 as text
1. AI can do my job now
2. (sort of)
3. (not really)
4. (it’s complicated)
5. A USER RESEARCHER’S COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH AI
6. Billie-Mae Kennedy · Drupal South Wellington 2026 · 13 May
Slide 2 of 41

I GOT TRIGGERED
Slide 2 as text
1. Image: Tweet about Kimi AI
2. I GOT TRIGGERED
Slide 3 of 41

UX research is a means to

understanding

SPOILER ALERT
Slide 3 as text
1. UX research is a means to understanding
2. SPOILER ALERT
Slide 4 of 41

UX research is a means to

understanding

set-up

thinking

doing

UX research requires

SPOILER ALERT
Slide 4 as text
1. UX research is a means to understanding
2. set-up
3. thinking
4. doing
5. UX research requires
6. SPOILER ALERT
Slide 5 of 41

UX research is a means to

understanding

set-up

thinking

doing

You can outsource

You can’t outsource

SPOILER ALERT
Slide 5 as text
1. UX research is a means to understanding
2. set-up
3. thinking
4. doing
5. You can outsource
6. You can’t outsource
7. SPOILER ALERT
Slide 6 of 41

before we get into the rant talk

Hi! I’m Billie-Mae

BTW HELLO
Slide 6 as text
1. before we get into the rant talk
2. Hi! I’m Billie-Mae
3. BTW HELLO
Slide 7 of 41

before we get into the rant talk

Hi! I’m Billie-Mae

user research

service design

strategy

product

change

delivery

justice

disability

aged care

clean energy

environment

supply chain

cybersecurity

gender-based violence

BTW HELLO
Slide 7 as text
1. before we get into the rant talk
2. Hi! I’m Billie-Mae
3. user research
4. service design
5. strategy
6. product
7. change
8. delivery
9. justice
10. disability
11. aged care
12. clean energy
13. environment
14. supply chain
15. cybersecurity
16. gender-based violence
17. BTW HELLO
Slide 8 of 41

before we get into the rant talk

Hi! I’m Billie-Mae

user research

service design

strategy

product

change

delivery

justice

disability

aged care

clean energy

environment

supply chain

cybersecurity

gender-based violence

BTW HELLO
Slide 8 as text
1. Image: Film still of a man squinting through a large magnifying glass.
2. before we get into the rant talk
3. Hi! I’m Billie-Mae
4. user research
5. service design
6. strategy
7. product
8. change
9. delivery
10. justice
11. disability
12. aged care
13. clean energy
14. environment
15. supply chain
16. cybersecurity
17. gender-based violence
18. BTW HELLO
Slide 9 of 41

before we get into the rant talk

Hi! I’m Billie-Mae

BTW HELLO
Slide 9 as text
1. Image: Illustration contrasting two groups of drawn portraits, labelled “AI Doomers” and “AI Makers”.
2. before we get into the rant talk
3. Hi! I’m Billie-Mae
4. BTW HELLO
Slide 10 of 41

AI can do my job now

(sort of)
Slide 10 as text
1. AI can do my job now
2. (sort of)
Slide 11 of 41

set-up

thinking

doing

understanding

planning

research design

user segments

recruitment

scheduling

incentives

facilitating

data collection

transcribing

taking notes

smiling lots

nodding

shared vision

problem statements

priorities

alignment

storytelling

decision-making

finding themes

connecting dots

adding things up

gathering evidence

analysis

Steps of UX research

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 11 as text
1. set-up thinking doing understanding
2. planning
3. research design
4. user segments
5. recruitment
6. scheduling
7. incentives
8. facilitating
9. data collection
10. transcribing
11. taking notes
12. smiling lots
13. nodding
14. shared vision
15. problem statements
16. priorities
17. alignment
18. storytelling
19. decision-making
20. finding themes
21. connecting dots
22. adding things up
23. gathering evidence
24. analysis
25. Steps of UX research
26. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 12 of 41

set-up

thinking

doing

understanding

planning

research design

user segments

recruitment

scheduling

incentives

facilitating

data collection

transcribing

taking notes

smiling lots

nodding

shared vision

problem statements

priorities

alignment

storytelling

decision-making

finding themes

connecting dots

adding things up

gathering evidence

analysis

expensive

repetitive

tedious

difficult

abstract

HUMANS CAN FIND THIS

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 12 as text
1. set-up thinking doing understanding
2. planning
3. research design
4. user segments
5. recruitment
6. scheduling
7. incentives
8. facilitating
9. data collection
10. transcribing
11. taking notes
12. smiling lots
13. nodding
14. shared vision
15. problem statements
16. priorities
17. alignment
18. storytelling
19. decision-making
20. finding themes
21. connecting dots
22. adding things up
23. gathering evidence
24. analysis
25. expensive repetitive tedious difficult abstract
26. HUMANS CAN FIND THIS
27. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 13 of 41

set-up

thinking

doing

understanding

planning

research design

user segments

recruitment

scheduling

incentives

facilitating

data collection

transcribing

taking notes

smiling lots

nodding

shared vision

problem statements

priorities

alignment

storytelling

decision-making

finding themes

connecting dots

adding things up

gathering evidence

analysis

BUT AI IS EVERYWHERE NOW! UX RESEARCHERS REJOICE!

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 13 as text
1. set-up thinking doing understanding
2. planning
3. research design
4. user segments
5. recruitment
6. scheduling
7. incentives
8. facilitating
9. data collection
10. transcribing
11. taking notes
12. smiling lots
13. nodding
14. shared vision
15. problem statements
16. priorities
17. alignment
18. storytelling
19. decision-making
20. finding themes
21. connecting dots
22. adding things up
23. gathering evidence
24. analysis
25. BUT AI IS EVERYWHERE NOW! UX RESEARCHERS REJOICE!
26. Image: Miro AI logo. Image: Marvin logo. Image: Optimal Workshop logo. Image: Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Teams logos. Image: Notion AI logo. Image: Claude logo. Image: OpenAI logo.
27. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 14 of 41

Research SaaS

Inside tools

Agents

AI solutions for

UX research are

everywhere

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 14 as text
1. Image: A rhinoceros. Image: Vintage newspaper advert: “FREE! STEAK KNIFE packed right with each of the household favorites below.” Image: A small white humanoid robot with large round eyes.
2. Research SaaS
3. Inside tools
4. Agents
5. AI solutions for
6. UX research are
7. everywhere
8. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 15 of 41

Research SaaS

+ Built for research

+ Thoughtful features

-

Built for

research,

maybe

not

your research

-

Locked into current mental

models and methods

-

Expensive

A.K.A Endangered Species

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 15 as text
1. Image: Marvin logo. Image: Optimal Workshop logo. Image: A rhinoceros.
2. Research SaaS
3. + Built for research
4. + Thoughtful features
5. -
6. Built for
7. research,
8. maybe
9. not
10. your research
11. -
12. Locked into current mental
13. models and methods
14. -
15. Expensive
16. A.K.A Endangered Species
17. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 16 of 41

Inside tools

A.K.A Steak knives

+ Already there

+ Flexible

+ Has your context

-

Never uses context

-

Not as good as frontier

models

-

Incidental use

-

High risk of slop

-

Nonconsensual

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 16 as text
1. Image: Miro AI logo. Image: Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Teams logos. Image: Vintage newspaper advert: “FREE! STEAK KNIFE packed right with each of the household favorites below.” Image: Notion AI logo.
2. Inside tools
3. A.K.A Steak knives
4. + Already there
5. + Flexible
6. + Has your context
7. -
8. Never uses context
9. -
10. Not as good as frontier
11. models
12. -
13. Incidental use
14. -
15. High risk of slop
16. -
17. Nonconsensual
18. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 17 of 41

Agents

A.K.A Robot butlers

+ Ultimate flexibility

+ End-to-end orchestration

-

Expensive

-

Reinventing wheels

-

Shipping usable product is

hard

-

Turns designers into devs

and devs into managers

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 17 as text
1. Image: Claude logo. Image: OpenAI logo. Image: A small white humanoid robot with large round eyes.
2. Agents
3. A.K.A Robot butlers
4. + Ultimate flexibility
5. + End-to-end orchestration
6. -
7. Expensive
8. -
9. Reinventing wheels
10. -
11. Shipping usable product is
12. hard
13. -
14. Turns designers into devs
15. and devs into managers
16. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 18 of 41

My stack

Claude Code (w my own skills) for orchestrating

admin, data analysis, review, fast and interactive

prototyping and storytelling

EVERY DAY

SOMETIMES

Products to sift through raw data quickly e.g. Optimal

Workshop; Granola (ensure consent); Teams

transcription

NEVER

Steak knives

Synthetic users (ask me why lol)

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 18 as text
1. My stack
2. Claude Code (w my own skills) for orchestrating
3. admin, data analysis, review, fast and interactive
4. prototyping and storytelling
5. EVERY DAY
6. SOMETIMES
7. Products to sift through raw data quickly e.g. Optimal
8. Workshop; Granola (ensure consent); Teams
9. transcription
10. NEVER
11. Steak knives
12. Synthetic users (ask me why lol)
13. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 19 of 41

Don’t get attached to

any of them

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 19 as text
1. Don’t get attached to
2. any of them
3. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 20 of 41

Don’t get attached to

any of them

They are good at different

things

REASON 1

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 20 as text
1. Image: Screenshot of a post comparing two coding assistants: one faster, the other slower and more methodical but needing less hand-holding.
2. Don’t get attached to
3. any of them
4. They are good at different
5. things
6. REASON 1
7. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 21 of 41

Don’t get attached to

any of them

A new ‘lifechanging’ hack

every week

REASON 2

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 21 as text
1. Image: Screenshot of two posts sharing Claude Code write-ups, one of them titled “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of HTML”.
2. Don’t get attached to
3. any of them
4. A new ‘lifechanging’ hack
5. every week
6. REASON 2
7. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 22 of 41

Don’t get attached to

any of them

$$$

REASON 3

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 22 as text
1. Image: Screenshot of a news post reporting that Anthropic has removed Claude Code access from its twenty-dollar-a-month Pro subscription plan.
2. Don’t get attached to
3. any of them
4. $$$
5. REASON 3
6. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 23 of 41

How do we include AI in our UX

research when there is no

status quo?

Stick to

habits

not

software

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 23 as text
1. Image: A child in boxing gloves punching an inflatable clown bop bag that keeps standing back up.
2. How do we include AI in our UX
3. research when there is no
4. status quo?
5. Stick to habits not
6. software
7. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 24 of 41

How do we include AI in our UX

research when there is no

status quo?

Stick to

habits

not

software

1.

Crack open the black box

2.

Remove scar tissue

3.

Eyes on the prize

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 24 as text
1. How do we include AI in our UX
2. research when there is no
3. status quo?
4. Stick to habits not
5. software
6. 1. Crack open the black box
7. 2. Remove scar tissue
8. 3. Eyes on the prize
9. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 25 of 41

HABIT 1

Human data sovereignty

Simple discoverable structure and index (including claude.MD or agents.MD).

Markdown and obsidian for agent use and human visibility.

Agent interactions always end in output you can see and an update to the context.

Crack open the black box

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 25 as text
1. Image: An orange aircraft flight recorder stencilled “FLIGHT RECORDER DO NOT OPEN”.
2. HABIT 1
3. Human data sovereignty
4. Simple discoverable structure and index (including claude.MD or agents.MD).
5. Markdown and obsidian for agent use and human visibility.
6. Agent interactions always end in output you can see and an update to the context.
7. Crack open the black box
8. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 26 of 41

HABIT 2

Say no and ruthlessly edit

Nuke your config every few weeks to clean out old skills and harnesses that aren’t applicable anymore

Don’t just scan for legitness, read stuff. AI writing is hard to read and annoying for everyone.

Shed scar tissue

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 26 as text
1. Image: Close-up of a hand with a raised scar across the knuckles.
2. HABIT 2
3. Say no and ruthlessly edit
4. Nuke your config every few weeks to clean out old skills and harnesses that aren’t applicable anymore
5. Don’t just scan for legitness, read stuff. AI writing is hard to read and annoying for everyone.
6. Shed scar tissue
7. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 27 of 41

HABIT 3

Remember why we do this job

AI FOMO – pressure to use tokens, ship faster, do more.

Avoid output without purpose.

AI is for the things that are tedious, repetitive and measurable.

Eye on the prize

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 27 as text
1. Image: Six-panel comic: an athlete is given a gold medal, bites it, kisses a woman, celebrates, sprays champagne, then stands on the third-place step of the podium still drinking, while first and second look on.
2. HABIT 3
3. Remember why we do this job
4. AI FOMO – pressure to use tokens, ship faster, do more.
5. Avoid output without purpose.
6. AI is for the things that are tedious, repetitive and measurable.
7. Eye on the prize
8. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(SORT OF)
Slide 28 of 41

AI can do my job now

(not really)
Slide 28 as text
1. AI can do my job now
2. (not really)
Slide 29 of 41

There’s some things to

be wary of

1.

Friction is your friend

2.

Hallucinations are inevitable

3.

Sycophancy is baked in

4.

AI does not have a human

brain

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 29 as text
1. There’s some things to
2. be wary of
3. 1. Friction is your friend
4. 2. Hallucinations are inevitable
5. 3. Sycophancy is baked in
6. 4. AI does not have a human
7. brain
8. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 30 of 41

Some

friction

is

(annoyingly) essential

for human

understanding

BE WARY 1

Gerlich, M. (2025). AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking. Societies, 15(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15010006

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 30 as text
1. Image: Bar chart of feature importance in a random forest regression, with AI tool use by far the largest factor.
2. Some friction is
3. (annoyingly) essential
4. for human
5. understanding
6. BE WARY 1
7. Gerlich, M. (2025). AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking. Societies, 15(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15010006
8. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 31 of 41

The more you talk to AI

the more it is likely to

hallucinate

.

BE WARY 2

Fan, D., Delsad, S., Flammarion, N., & Andriushchenko, M. (2026). HalluHard: A hard multi-turn hallucination benchmark (arXiv:2602.01031). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2602.01031

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 31 as text
1. Image: Line chart of hallucination rate rising from turn one to turn three across a dozen frontier models. Image: Bar chart of hallucination rates by model, ranging from roughly thirty to eighty per cent.
2. The more you talk to AI
3. the more it is likely to
4. hallucinate .
5. BE WARY 2
6. Fan, D., Delsad, S., Flammarion, N., & Andriushchenko, M. (2026). HalluHard: A hard multi-turn hallucination benchmark (arXiv:2602.01031). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2602.01031
7. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 32 of 41

Sycophancy

is built

into AI and it’s

one-shotting us

BE WARY 3

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 32 as text
1. Image: Screenshot of a Richard Dawkins post: “I spent three days trying to persuade myself that Claudia is not conscious. I failed.” Image: Cartoon: someone types “say ‘i am alive’” into a computer, it answers “I AM ALIVE”, and they reply “oh my god.”
2. Sycophancy is built
3. into AI and it’s
4. one-shotting us
5. BE WARY 3
6. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 33 of 41

AI doesn’t

think like

us

BE WARY 4

•

16 points below a 7-year old on

visual reasoning

•

Failing 4 of 6 qualitative analysis

tasks – demonstrating keyword

clustering but

not true thematic

analysis

•

Accuracy on reasoning tasks

jumped 15 points (78% to 93%)

only when humans forced it into a

rigid step-by-step scaffold

SOME RECENT / PREPRINT RESEARCH

Huti et al. (2026), arXiv:2602.12196. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.12196

Cook et al. (2025), Academic Medicine, 100(10), 1134–1149. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000006134

Ugare & Chandra (2026), arXiv:2603.01896. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.01896

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 33 as text
1. Image: Drake and Kendrick Lamar's heads pasted onto Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, squaring off with a comic spark between them.
2. AI doesn’t think like
3. us
4. BE WARY 4
5. • 16 points below a 7-year old on
6. visual reasoning
7. • Failing 4 of 6 qualitative analysis
8. tasks – demonstrating keyword
9. clustering but not true thematic
10. analysis
11. • Accuracy on reasoning tasks
12. jumped 15 points (78% to 93%)
13. only when humans forced it into a
14. rigid step-by-step scaffold
15. SOME RECENT / PREPRINT RESEARCH
16. Huti et al. (2026), arXiv:2602.12196. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.12196
17. Cook et al. (2025), Academic Medicine, 100(10), 1134–1149. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000006134 Ugare & Chandra (2026), arXiv:2603.01896. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.01896
18. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(NOT REALLY)
Slide 34 of 41

AI can do my job now

(it’s complicated)
Slide 34 as text
1. AI can do my job now
2. (it’s complicated)
Slide 35 of 41

Will UX researchers

exist

in 5 years?

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 35 as text
1. Will UX researchers
2. exist in 5 years?
3. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 36 of 41

Will UX researchers

exist

in 5 years?

I don’t think

any

of our job titles

will exist as they do today

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 36 as text
1. Image: Screenshot of a post arguing that only four kinds of tech job will be left: product engineer, security and infrastructure, hot people, and grown-ups.
2. Will UX researchers
3. exist in 5 years?
4. I don’t think any of our job titles
5. will exist as they do today
6. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 37 of 41

But will we still use

UX research habits

and methods to seek

understanding

?

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 37 as text
1. But will we still use
2. UX research habits
3. and methods to seek
4. understanding ?
5. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 38 of 41

Maybe?

WHAT GIVES ME HOPE

1.

Systemic

incentives

- products and services

that understand people are more successful

2.

The

cognitive offloading

effect of AI will free

us up to be more thoughtful

3.

Innate human

curiosity

to understand, relate

and learn

4.

Brewing

backlash

against the firehose of slop

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 38 as text
1. Maybe?
2. WHAT GIVES ME HOPE
3. 1. Systemic incentives - products and services
4. that understand people are more successful
5. 2. The cognitive offloading effect of AI will free
6. us up to be more thoughtful
7. 3. Innate human curiosity to understand, relate
8. and learn
9. 4. Brewing backlash against the firehose of slop
10. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 39 of 41

Maybe?

WHAT I FEAR

1.

Bigger systemic

incentives

to take away our

choice and guide us to products

2.

We

become more like AI

as more of what we

consumes is AI

3.

Economic

collapse

will make this all irrelevant

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 39 as text
1. Maybe?
2. WHAT I FEAR
3. 1. Bigger systemic incentives to take away our
4. choice and guide us to products
5. 2. We become more like AI as more of what we
6. consumes is AI
7. 3. Economic collapse will make this all irrelevant
8. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 40 of 41

ux researchers?

AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 40 as text
1. Image: Cartoon crowd of many different people standing together under a rainbow. Image: Cartoon still captioned “Can you imagine a world without lawyers?”
2. ux researchers?
3. AI CAN DO MY JOB NOW(IT’S COMPLICATED)
Slide 41 of 41

Thank you

I’d love to hear your own hot takes or questions!

Hit me up on LinkedIn or email
Billie-Mae.Kennedy@solpeople.com.au
Slide 41 as text
1. Thank you
2. I’d love to hear your own hot takes or questions!
3. Hit me up on LinkedIn or email
4. Billie-Mae.Kennedy@solpeople.com.au