Joanna Stern is not a robot, but she lived with them
Summary
Nilay Patel interviews Joanna Stern about her new book, *I Am Not a Robot*, and her independent media venture, New Things. Stern shares insights from a year-long experiment integrating AI into her daily life, arguing that while humanoid robots remain years away, wearable AI and enterprise tools offer immediate utility. The discussion covers the privacy trade-offs of constant recording, the data-hungry nature of robotics, and Stern’s concerns about children’s interactions with AI and the rise of digital intimacy.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Joanna Stern and her new book 'I'm Not a Robot'
The state of consumer AI: Why current products aren't 'great' yet
The gap between tech hype and reality: Waymo and CarPlay
Practical AI uses: Slack bots and the 'dumb' cooking robot
Wearables and privacy: Meta glasses and recording bracelets
The data problem: Why robot companies need human labor
AI relationships: Intimacy, loneliness, and setting rules
Launching 'New Things': Independence from The Verge and NBC partnership
Content strategy: Resisting the YouTube algorithm
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