No, I haven't been replaced by some super-mega-complex AI agent that now my clients can use instead of me. And no, I didn't start an artistic gig of map memorabilia "because it's something an AI could never do". True, as of 2026, you can't just use an LLM prompt to produce a creative and aesthetic map/photo collage that is also original and tailored to a person's memory. But that's not the point. If not now, I'm sure you'll be able to within the next few years. I'm not actually sure, but in the midst of this uncertainty, I may as well consider it certain.

I actually have no idea where all of this AI fuzz is going. Neither do any of my friends. We're all seasoned geospatial professionals and/or software engineers, we've all taken graduate-level courses on various aspects of AI, and, due to our engineering backgrounds, we've always examined the social implications of technology. And yet, unlike some LinkedIn influencers, we have no f*cking clue where this is going. 

We can only tell we're in a rapidly changing period, a period that requires constant adaptation. We've basically transformed from engineering/development to quality assurance. Making sure that the code works and applying corrections or adjustments when necessary. Our engineering mindset, our resourcefulness, our creativity and problem-solving ability used to be channeled to balance between designing workflows, combining data from multiple sources, communicating, and knocking our heads against the wall to figure out the solution to a problem. Now it's being channeled to create the prompt that's most likely to work on the first try. That's all we can say for sure.

So no, I haven't technically lost my job to AI. In fact, I'm more productive and effective than ever. But due to AI, I've lost much of the joy, the fulfillment and sense of purpose that came with it. And that's where Map Memoirs come in. An opportunity to re-apply my existing skills creatively. I see value in putting manual cognitive effort on a craft, as a human. 

Map Memoirs is not an AI-free project. I use LLMs mostly as a graphic design tutor, and some tools that are low on the cognition pyramid, such as Canva's "auto adjust". But I guarantee you that if you trust me to map your memories, the result will not be from a "turn this guy's photos' into a Map Memoir" prompt, far from it. I will channel into it all this surplus of creativity that is no longer required in my regular job. I will create drafts, toss them aside, start over, try hundreds of colors, filters, rotation angles, and so on. Until I get it right. And it won't be perfect. But it will be from a human.

If you also see value in this, I'd love to create one for you.