Understanding Socio-technical Factors Configuring AI Non-Use in UX Work Practices

AI tools are often promoted as revolutionary for streamlining labor- and cost-intensive UX workflows. Although their actual adoption and usage are more complex and nuanced than often portrayed, instances, where AI may be unnecessary or even undesirable are frequently overlooked. Therefore, we aim to gain deeper insights into technology non-use—viewed not merely as a binary opposite to use but as a spectrum of practices. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 UX practitioners, we identified factors influencing non-use across individual, professional, organizational, and societal dimensions. We use a sociotechnical assemblage lens to explore how multiple layers of an individual’s context interact within professional settings, how diverse politics intersect within individuals or organizations, and how these interactions evolve over time. We propose implications for rethinking AI application design and evaluation, for considering policy frameworks and AI design together and deliberating about where AI should and should not be used.