Hey, it’s been a hot minute since my last life update. I've been neck-deep in work and life, and honestly, the world’s been moving faster than ever thanks to AI. So let’s talk about what I'm doing about this whole AI double-edged sword situation.
Losing My Job to AI
First things first: it's been exactly one month since I had that call with our COO (June 30, 2025 to be exact)... the one where she told me they were letting me go. I thought it was just another one of those quick catch-up meetings, you know, the kind where management asks for updates on certain tasks or assigns something new because chatting over a call is quicker than Slack. I mean, ouch, right? But like I told her, I saw it coming from a mile away. So, while getting the boot sucked, I understood.
At Intelligent Labs, where I spent 5.5 incredibly formative years, AI wasn’t some sneaky thing hidden in the background. It was encouraged, openly discussed, and actively used by the whole team. Productivity soared because AI made everything easier and faster.
For the record: I'm not one to just blindly copy and paste everything ChatGPT spewed out. Early on, I learned it "hallucinated" and made up a lot of stuff! So, I had trust issues with everything it said, particularly the science stuff. I double-checked everything by going through science journals. But I'm not going to deny that AI did make my life a whole lot easier!
But looking from a purely business standpoint, it totally made sense: why keep paying human writers when AI can crank out content for pennies on the dollar, with just minimal human input?
Grateful for Growth
I’m beyond grateful for everything I learned at Intelligent Labs. 5 years ago, I was just another blog writer. Over time, I leveled up big time, handling Amazon product pages, WooCommerce sales funnels, email campaigns, social media content, guest writer outreach, and even diving deep into analytics with tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Ahrefs.
The team meetings where I presented my work (while silently sweating buckets on camera) made me more confident, more analytical, and dare I say it, better at everything digital marketing-related.
Pivoting Fast with Cebu Tourist Transfers
So yeah, losing my job sucked, but I didn’t let it keep me down. Instead, I pivoted fast. AI isn’t slowing down, so why should I? My husband and I decided it was the perfect time to scale up our side hustle, Cebu Tourist Transfers.
He’s been ferrying guests to and from Mactan Airport and our family-owned Arriyus Apartelle in Daanbantayan since 2022, and we've always known this business model worked. There's a huge demand, especially from foreign tourists. It’s the kind of service that’s practically AI-proof (because no robot is gonna drive tourists from Cebu City to Moalboal anytime soon, right?).
Building a Business from Scratch
I threw myself fully into building the Cebu Tourist Transfers website. My digital marketing experience with Intelligent Labs came in clutch big time. My husband tackled the offline stuff like processing the business permit (seriously, the red tape from DTI, BIR, City Health, and the Bureau of Fire Protection is insane!). Now, the site’s about 95% ready. We’re just sorting out a few loose ends, like integrating with PayMongo, our local payment processor, and finalizing our fare calculator. Once that's done, it’s full steam ahead with social media and backlinks.
AI: Ally or Adversary?
So here’s the thing about AI. It really is a double-edged sword. It took away my traditional job, sure, but it also freed me up to take control of my future in ways I never imagined. I’m determined to turn AI from something that disrupts into something that empowers. Our transfer service is just one example of pivoting to AI-proof products and services. No matter how good AI gets, there’s always going to be a demand for personalized, human-centric experiences.
Taking Charge of My Future
Will I ever work for someone else again? I mean, I definitely could. But for now, I still have some breathing room to work on my own terms. (I saw the writing on the wall with AI and started saving extra; plus, I'm super thankful for the severance pay from Intelligent Labs; it's been a huge help.) My main focus is diversifying our income streams and leveraging AI to help our businesses thrive.
So, here’s to making AI my ally rather than my adversary. Bring it on!