Fourteen weeks ago I was an almost empty nester and deeply paranoid about anything AI. I knew my life was about to change, which is why I started this blog series. 

Since then, our youngest moved out, our dog died, the house became very quiet, and then we got a new puppy. So I guess the “almost” empty nester hook has run its course. 

I also made steps on my personal transformation journey from technophobe to occasional AI user. Now I use AI almost everyday. 

Through this series I’ve learned that becoming a cyborg is a deceptively gradual process. One minute I’m using Gemini to look up recipes for enchilada casserole, and the next I’m telling Claude about my dying dog and letting it set my daily schedule. 

A slippery slope, I suppose. Going from paranoid technophobe to occasional AI user is not without risk.

I’ve also hit a wall in my AI transformation. The next escalation would probably be deploying agentic AI to organize my email inbox or letting it write my social media posts. But I’m not willing to take those steps. I don’t yet trust AI to have free rein over my accounts. 

So for now, this post is my last installment of The Reluctant Cyborg. 

(But I’m not completely ruling out a return to this series at some point in the future.

Because what if I decide to get a neural implant? I’d want to bring you along with me, for sure. I would probably even livestream the whole process for the sake of science.

This is hyperbole, of course. You know me well enough by now to know when I’m kidding. Getting a brain implant sounds cool and all, but if you recall, I don’t even want Bluetooth earphones.)

Thank you for coming along this journey with me. It has been good to know you’re here with me through these changing seasons of my life.

And I hope you stick around for my new weekly series, Human in the Loop. 

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Series Review:

To recap, here’s a list of The Reluctant Cyborg posts. Enjoy!

2/4/2026 – Intro

2/10/2026 – From AI recipes to humanoid robots

2/18/2026 – From Google Docs to AI digital twins

2/24/2026 – AI wake up calls, Apple wearables, and Olympic wolfdogs

3/3/2026 – Spy pigeons, marshmallow sauce, and killer robots

3/10/2026 – From sticky notes to AI assistants

3/17/2026 – Maps, mind-reading, and miracles

3/24/2026 – Rural grief and AI sympathy

3/31/2026 – The siren call of a flattering chatbot

4/7/2026 – Brainwave biometrics, AI tells, and authentic lived experience

4/14/2026 – Echoes in the hallway, logic in the machine

4/21/2026 – Puppies, paperbacks, and personal AI boundaries

4/28/2026 – AI job offers, brain implants, and cyborg botany

5/5/2026 – Conclusion (for now)

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Okay, that’s all for now. Join me here next week for my new series, Human in the Loop.