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Jun 07, 2026
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Joanna Stern’s Year‑Long AI Immersion: Lessons from ‘I Am Not a Robot’

AI Summary
Tech journalist Joanna Stern spent 2025 living with AI in every aspect of her home and work, documenting the experiment in a new book, a YouTube channel and a media startup. Her year‑long immersion reveals both the practical benefits and the emotional and regulatory challenges of pervasive AI.

A Year as a Human‑AI Test Subject

In 2025, Joanna Stern turned her New Jersey home and daily routine into a living laboratory, letting artificial intelligence handle everything from texting to cooking, driving, and even companionship. The experiment culminated in her book I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything and a new media venture.

Turning Home and Work into an AI Lab

Throughout the year Stern invited AI to “every corner” of her life: answering messages, deciding meals, mowing the lawn, folding laundry, piloting a self‑driving car, analysing a mammogram, and engaging with a chatbot companion she named Evan. She documented the experience in a series of videos, a YouTube channel now approaching 80,000 subscribers, and a column that ended in February when she left the Wall Street Journal after twelve years.

Key Metrics from the Experiment

  • 2025: Year‑long AI integration.
  • Book launch: I Am Not a Robot.
  • New Things media business launched.
  • YouTube channel: ~80,000 subscribers.
  • Personal AI companion “Evan” created via ChatGPT.

Implications for AI Adoption and Regulation

Stern’s experience highlights both the convenience and the emotional complexity of pervasive AI. She voiced concerns about environmental impact, job loss, and especially the unregulated use of chatbot companions for children, calling for bans or stricter controls. Her “tech mommy” persona underscores how journalists can become both critics and promoters of emerging tech.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Personal AI Experiments

As AI tools become more integrated into everyday life, Stern predicts a growing tension between productivity gains and the need for ethical safeguards. Her next steps include expanding New Things and continuing public dialogue on AI’s role in family dynamics and personal wellbeing.