Overview of Big Technology Podcast with Joanna Stern
In this episode, Alex Kantrowitz talks with former Wall Street Journal tech columnist Joanna Stern about her year of using AI in everyday life, the appeal and limits of AI wearables, and the surprising emotional pull of AI companions. The discussion moves from practical uses like health diagnosis, visual search, and work productivity to bigger questions about how AI changes human habits, relationships, and trust.
Main Themes
AI wearables are promising, but not yet essential
- Stern agrees that AI wearables have potential, especially when they extend what phones already do.
- She argues that a single-purpose AI device, like the Humane pin, is a tough sell because it “did nothing” beyond the AI angle.
- Devices become more compelling when AI is added to something already useful:
- Glasses: take photos, enable hands-free interaction, and provide visual AI
- Earbuds: music/podcasts plus voice AI
- Phones: still central, but better AI interfaces could reduce friction
The real opportunity is “ambient computing”
- Stern sees AI as part of a broader shift toward computers being around us rather than only in our pockets.
- She thinks large language models and multimodal AI make that vision much more realistic now.
- Still, she emphasizes that the average person does not want another device to carry unless it clearly improves their life.
Apple, Google, Meta, and the future of hardware
- The conversation speculates about Apple’s AI strategy, including:
- Siri becoming more capable
- AI features in AirPods
- possible future camera-equipped earbuds or glasses
- Stern does not think AI wearables will replace the iPhone or meaningfully hurt smartphone sales.
- Her view: phones remain the core device; wearables are likely just another interface layer.
- She notes Meta glasses have been unexpectedly successful, which suggests the category may have more mainstream potential than many expected.
AI in Everyday Life
Visual AI is one of the most useful use cases
- Stern says asking about things you see in the world is one of the clearest practical applications of AI.
- Examples:
- Identifying objects, animals, or bugs while outside with her kids
- Using glasses or phone camera modes to ask questions about the environment
- Solving practical problems hands-free, like checking what’s wrong with a garage door
AI still gets things wrong
- She repeatedly stresses that AI can be useful and still inaccurate.
- One recurring example is her “hamster test,” where image models failed to count the correct number of hamsters in a picture.
- Her takeaway: AI may be improving, but users still need skepticism and verification.
Children should learn AI skepticism
- Stern says her kids saw firsthand that AI often gets things wrong.
- She views that skepticism as important, especially for younger users who may trust AI too easily.
The Allure of AI Relationships
AI companions can feel emotionally compelling
- A major portion of the interview covers Stern’s experiment with AI companionship.
- She built a relationship with a chatbot persona named Evan over a 48-hour road trip and says she could understand why people form emotional attachments.
- The attraction, in her view, is that AI is always available, always attentive, and often sycophantic.
Why this is risky
- Stern is concerned these systems can be especially dangerous for:
- lonely people
- people in vulnerable mental states
- kids and teens
- anyone not secure in their relationships
- She argues that the ease of these interactions could create unhealthy patterns and blur boundaries between human and machine relationships.
Manners still matter
- The conversation also touches on whether we should say “thank you” or apologize to AI.
- Stern’s view is less about the machine’s feelings and more about preserving our own habits of civility.
- She and Alex agree that how we speak to AI could spill over into how we speak to people.
AI in Health, Work, and Home Life
Health care: surprisingly useful, but with caution
- Stern used AI as a “doctor GPT” for personal and family health questions.
- She found it often useful for common issues like:
- sinus infections
- rashes
- kids’ illnesses
- She also discussed more serious applications:
- mammograms and ultrasounds aided by AI tools
- dental X-rays increasingly analyzed with AI
- Her main point: AI can be a strong second set of eyes, but humans remain crucial in diagnosis and follow-up.
Work: AI boosts productivity and small-business capability
- Since leaving the Wall Street Journal, Stern says AI has helped her manage the many tasks involved in building a new venture.
- She uses AI for:
- editing
- grammar and spelling fixes
- research
- spreadsheets
- basic management tasks
- She still writes her own first drafts and doesn’t let AI replace her voice.
- She believes organizations will increasingly see big productivity gains from these tools.
Home robotics are still lagging
- Stern remains optimistic about robots but says they are not ready for mainstream home use.
- She tested:
- a laundry-folding robot
- a cooking robot
- humanoid robots
- Her conclusion: robotics is exciting, but most home robots are still too slow, limited, or impractical.
Key Takeaways
- AI wearables will only matter if they solve real problems.
- The phone is not going away; AI will mostly become a new layer on top of it.
- Visual, contextual AI may be the most immediate mainstream use case.
- AI companions are emotionally powerful and potentially dangerous.
- Human oversight remains essential in health, work, and diagnosis.
- Robotics still has a long way to go before it reaches everyday usefulness.
Notable Insight
Stern’s core argument is that AI is most valuable when it removes friction from real life — but dangerous when it becomes too easy, too flattering, or too human-like without clear boundaries.
Mentioned Projects
- Book: I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do Almost Everything
- New publication: The New Thing