I'm a senior UX researcher at Microsoft. Here's how I broke into AI without a tech background — and 3 lessons I learned.

Priyanka Kuvalekar.

Courtesy of Priyanka Kuvalekar

• Priyanka Kuvalekar leads UX research for Microsoft Teams Calling and related AI experiences.
• She transitioned from architecture to AI by pursuing a UX design education and Big Tech roles.
• Her insights focus on AI evaluation, accessibility, and bridging user experience with tech.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Priyanka Kuvalekar, a 31-year-old UX research lead at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington.