
" I stopped learning passively and started building"
Before this program... I was already curious about AI, but I was stuck in learning mode — too many tools, too many ideas, and not enough traction. I wanted to use AI to make my life easier, more aligned, more me - but I wasn’t sure how to do that without it just becoming another thing on my to-do list.
Thanks to this program... I stopped learning passively and started building. I created multiple personal AI assistants: • A governance GPT for public Council meetings (Tohutohu – The Standing Orders Whisperer). • A straight-talking wellness coach who helps me see my blind spots (Lumvara). • A fully personalized Sous-Chef that builds meals from my actual food stock, flags what needs using up, and keeps me on track with flavorful, protein-rich recipes I’ll actually enjoy eating. • Task-based nudges that help me stay grounded, productive, and clear-headed each day I even created a fierce visual anchor (a boxing chimpanzee) and turned it into a music video - just to remind myself to fight for focus, not perfection.
And now, my life is... More intentional. More supported. More alive. AI isn’t just a tool for me now - it’s a personal ecosystem of support. It reminds me who I want to be, how I want to live, and that I don’t need to prove anything. I just need to choose.
Vivienne Ong
Local Governance and Citizen Participation Specialist
Christchurch, New Zealand
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