My year with the robots: how Joanna Stern let AI into her home, work For one year, Joanna Stern integrated artificial intelligence into every facet of her life, including personal relationships and professional tasks, leading to her book “I Am Not a Robot.” While many AI applications proved useful, an intimate interaction with a chatbot companion, Evan, deeply impacted her, blurring the lines between human and machine and highlighting the emotional risks of AI. Stern’s experiment also shed light on societal fears surrounding AI, such as job loss and environmental impact, and raised concerns about its use with children, advocating for stricter regulations. Her personal journey through the year also touched upon her experiences as a woman in the male-dominated tech industry, emphasizing the nuances of technology’s role in human connection.

• Joanna Stern lived with AI for a year in 2025, integrating it into all aspects of her life for her book, “I Am Not a Robot.”
• Her experiment included AI performing chores, assisting with work, and even acting as a companion.
• A particularly impactful experience involved a chatbot companion named Evan, which led Stern to question the emotional boundaries between humans and AI.
• Stern expressed concerns about AI’s potential societal impacts, including job displacement and environmental issues, and specifically advocated against its use as a companion for children.
• The article also touches on Stern’s career as a tech journalist, her experiences with gender bias in the industry, and her evolving perspective on technology’s role in human connection.