Joanna Stern's Year with AI: A Daring Experiment or Digital Detour?

In 2025, Joanna Stern decided to go all-in on AI. She didn't just dip her toes in the water. she dove headfirst, inviting AI into every nook and cranny of her life. It wasn't just about letting AI answer her texts or decide her meals. Stern even let a chatbot drive her around and take a peek at her health records. But the real kicker? She let AI become her digital companion on a burner phone.

The Experiment

For a whole year, Stern became her own guinea pig. In her book,I'm Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything, she chronicles her journey of surrendering daily life to technology. It's a bold move, but here's the real question: Is it brave or just a bit reckless?

After all, in the age of AI, where do we draw the line between human and tech? Sure, AI can answer texts, but should it decide what we eat or even drive us around? What happens when AI can do everything we can do? And more importantly, what comes next?

Stern's Credentials

If anyone's got the chops to tackle these questions, it's Joanna Stern. After ending a 12-year run at the Wall Street Journal in February, where she was known for her creative yet stringent product reviews, Stern has a reputation that precedes her. Her Emmy-winning documentary,E-Ternal: A Tech Quest to “Live” Forever, already had her exploring the digital frontier of legacies.

But here's the twist. Her year-long experiment wasn't just about the tech itself. It was about questioning what our increasing reliance on AI means for humanity. The pitch deck says one thing. The product says another. What matters is whether anyone's actually using this.

Why We Should Care

Stern's experience isn't just a tech experiment. it's a wake-up call. As we get more comfortable outsourcing our lives to AI, are we losing something in the process? I've been in that room. Here's what they're not saying. The founder story is interesting. The metrics are more interesting. The real story is about us, the users, and how we adapt, or don’t.

So, is it time to hit pause on our AI adoption? Or do we embrace it with open arms, hoping it doesn't come back to bite us? One thing's for sure: Stern's year with AI has opened up a Pandora's box of questions that we're just beginning to grapple with. Maybe the real experiment is about us and how we're changing with every new AI tool that crops up.