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Not a Robot: Joanna Stern Talks AI and Her New Media Venture
Key Takeaways
- Stern is the founder of New Things, her new media company.
- She spent 12 months integrating AI into every aspect of her life, including her children and household tasks.
- Stern believes that while consumer AI products can be great, they are often forced upon users without a lot of improvement in user experience over the past few years.
- She sees potential for AI to become more integrated in daily activities, such as cooking recipes or managing home tasks through voice assistants like Google Home.
A Conversation with Joanna Stern
Joanna Stern: You are one of the more influential tech reviewers in the world. You have spent a year using AI for everything. There’s your book, I Am Not a Robot. How do you see consumer AI products today?
Stern thinks they can be great but notes that many products force AI upon users without significant improvements in interface or user experience over the past few years.
Q: What about your friends and family? Are they using these AI products?
Stern sees her parents, for example, constantly asking ChatGPT questions for tasks like finding recipes. She also mentions that her daughter interacts with Google Assistant through its new Gemini integration, rewarding her curiosity.
Q: You’ve interviewed a human researcher about being replaced by AI. What did you learn?
Stern believes this insight is valuable as it highlights the potential downsides of rapid automation in everyday life.
