From Typewriters to Transformers: My Gen X Journey into AI
As a Gen X technical writer, I watched the world digitize in real time. I wrote through the birth of the internet, the rise of web-based documentation, the shift from user guides to UX flows. I saw tools evolve, formats change, and teams shrink as automation grew.
And now? I’m studying advanced AI and Machine Learning—not as a side note, but as a full commitment in mid-career.
Why? Because I believe that AI will change not only how we build systems—but how we explain, understand, and trust them.
What Gen X Brings to AI
We’re the bridge generation. We lived through payphones and smartphones. We remember floppy disks and cloud infrastructure. We didn’t grow up with tech—we grew into it. That means we bring a rare combination of skepticism, flexibility, and long-term memory.
Where others chase the next big trend, we ask:
What problem does this really solve? Who does it serve? And who might it leave behind?
That’s why learning AI at this stage of life feels powerful. I’m not here to build hype. I’m here to bring clarity, context, and communication to systems that are growing more complex by the day.
Why I’m Writing Now
So many people my age are reinventing themselves quietly. We’re not flashy. But we’ve adapted through every technological shift of the last 30 years—and we’re still evolving.
This space is where I’ll share that journey:
What it means to learn backpropagation at 50+
How documentation fits into AI workflows
What Gen X women bring to the tech conversation
Why explainability isn’t optional
I’m not done writing. I’m just writing about something bigger now.
If you’re in mid-career, learning something new, or wondering how your analog roots fit into a digital future—you're not alone. Let’s talk.
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