I Am Not a Robot

By: Joanna Stern

Published by Harper, 2026-05-12

What happens when artificial intelligence moves into your home, drives your car, and starts making your decisions? Wall Street Journal senior tech columnist Joanna Stern surrendered her life to artificial intelligence for one year. The results are both hilarious and alarming. We've all heard that AI is going to change our lives, but what does that really mean for ordinary people--not the tech bros who tried to sell us a cruise to the metaverse or an NFT of a cartoon monkey? What are the salient sights, habits, and sounds that will permeate our lives? What are things that we can barely perceive right now, but will soon become second nature to us? In this informative and engaging book Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal takes you on a time machine trip to the very near future, where AI promises to be your doctor, chauffeur, teacher, masseuse, and even . . . romantic partner. She introduces us to the many very real humans who are inventing the future. Unlike other AI books, Stern's book is full of fun, humor, and creativity as Joanna tests new technology and explores how people are living (and playing) with it already. It was hard to imagine buying things with a single tap when the Internet became part of your consciousness in 1994. You didn't think you'd be video calling a doctor, who'd just confirm what you'd already found using something called Google. And did you ever think that you'd snap a photo on your pocket-sized supercomputer for people to "heart?" Technology profoundly changes everyday life, and this book is a very human journey into a brave new world--a world that's exciting, and, yes, a little scary. Like Mary Roach, Joanna cuts to the funny and oddly marvelous when examining these serious ideas and uses infographics, photos, and illustrations to make esoteric material engaging and instructive. It's like taking a weird, unforgettable vacation with a really good friend.