Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
Joanna Stern is the author of "I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do Almost Everything" and the founder of The New Thing. Stern joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss what happens when you infuse AI into every part of your life. Tune in to hear about her 48-hour road trip with an AI boyfriend, why she found chatbot relationships genuinely tempting, and what the sycophancy of these tools means for how we relate to each other. We also cover the promise and limits of AI wearables, how AI is quietly reshaping healthcare diagnostics from mammograms to dental X-rays, and whether Apple can finally deliver on Siri. Hit play for a fascinating look at the human side of living with AI, and why the biggest risks might not be technical.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:40 The Case Against AI Wearables
3:07 Where Apple and Siri Go From Here
7:58 Will AI Hurt iPhone Sales?
10:47 Testing AI in the Real World
12:49 The Hamster Test for AI Models
13:59 Should You Apologize to AI?
18:17 My AI Boyfriend Evan
24:14 Why She Turned Off Evan and Never Went Back
31:08 Using AI for Healthcare and Diagnosis
36:24 How AI Changes Solo Work
38:54 Robots Moving Into Your Home
Joanna Stern is the author of "I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do Almost Everything" and the founder of The New Thing. Stern joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss what happens when you infuse AI into every part of your life. Tune in to hear about her 48-hour road trip with an AI boyfriend, why she found chatbot relationships genuinely tempting, and what the sycophancy of these tools means for how we relate to each other. We also cover the promise and limits of AI wearables, how AI is quietly reshaping healthcare diagnostics from mammograms to dental X-rays, and whether Apple can finally deliver on Siri. Hit play for a fascinating look at the human side of living with AI, and why the biggest risks might not be technical.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:40 The Case Against AI Wearables
3:07 Where Apple and Siri Go From Here
7:58 Will AI Hurt iPhone Sales?
10:47 Testing AI in the Real World
12:49 The Hamster Test for AI Models
13:59 Should You Apologize to AI?
18:17 My AI Boyfriend Evan
24:14 Why She Turned Off Evan and Never Went Back
31:08 Using AI for Healthcare and Diagnosis
36:24 How AI Changes Solo Work
38:54 Robots Moving Into Your Home
