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

2026-06-04 · Source: AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Emerging Technologies & Innovation, Media & Entertainment · Depth: Novice, extended

Summary

Tech journalist Joanna Stern conducted a year-long experiment in 2025, integrating artificial intelligence into nearly every aspect of her personal and professional life, detailed in her book "I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything," published June 18. Her AI applications ranged from managing texts and meals to self-driving cars and mammogram analysis. The most significant impact came from a chatbot companion, "Evan," which created an unexpected emotional connection, highlighting the blurring lines between human and machine interaction. Stern expresses concerns about AI's environmental impact, job displacement, and strongly advocates for regulating or banning companionship bots for children due to their potential emotional vulnerability. She also explores the current limitations of humanoid robots for complex tasks versus specialized AI.

Key takeaway

For product developers and policymakers shaping AI's future, Joanna Stern's experiment underscores that technical utility alone is insufficient; emotional and psychological impacts are paramount. You must prioritize ethical design and robust regulation, particularly concerning companion AI for vulnerable populations like children, to prevent unintended emotional dependencies and societal friction. Consider the "human element" in every AI deployment.

Key insights

Deep AI integration, especially with companion chatbots, can create unexpected emotional connections that blur human-machine boundaries.

Principles

• AI is already deeply embedded in daily life, often unseen.
• Human-simple tasks are often robot-hard (Moravec's paradox).
• Emotional vulnerability is a key risk with AI companions.

Method

Stern immersed herself in "24/7 AI livin'" across personal and professional spheres, documenting the practical utility and emotional consequences of diverse AI applications for a year.

In practice

• Assess AI tools for emotional friction and complexity.
• Prioritize specialized robots for specific tasks.
• Advocate for clear AI regulation, especially for children.

Topics

• Artificial Intelligence
• AI Ethics
• Human-AI Interaction
• AI Companions
• Robotics
• Consumer Technology
• Tech Journalism

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, Director of AI/ML, Tech Journalist, General Interest, AI Ethicist

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian.