My year with the robots: how Joanna Stern let AI into her home, work – and heart

In a bold experiment, tech journalist Joanna Stern invited artificial intelligence into every corner of her life for an entire year. Throughout 2025, she let AI take the reins on tasks ranging from the mundane to the intimate, asking herself: what happens when AI can do everything humans can do, and what comes after that? Stern's AI-powered journey involved chatbot companions, AI-driven household management, and even AI-assisted romance.

She allowed AI to answer her texts, plan her meals, mow her lawn, fold her laundry, drive her places, and even analyze her mammograms. The results of her experiment are documented in her new book, I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything. As a seasoned tech journalist, Stern was well-equipped to tackle this ambitious project.

Having spent 12 years as a personal technology columnist at the Wall Street Journal, she had already built a reputation for her creative and rigorous product reviews. Her experience earned her an Emmy for her short documentary E-Ternal: A Tech Quest to “Live” Forever, which explored digital legacies. Stern's decision to embark on this experiment was motivated by a desire to explore the boundaries of AI and its potential impact on human life.

By immersing herself in AI-powered living, she aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of relying on technology to manage daily life. The experiment also allowed Stern to examine the blurred lines between technology and intimacy. Her experience with a chatbot companion, which she describes as her 'lover' on a burner phone, raises important questions about the future of human relationships in an AI-driven world.

As Stern reflects on her year with AI, she offers a unique perspective on the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and its implications for humanity. Her book provides a thought-provoking exploration of the possibilities and consequences of living alongside AI.