Decoder · May 11, 2026 · 1h 0m

Joanna Stern Is Not a Robot, But She Lived With Them

Joanna Stern, co-founder of The Verge and former Wall Street Journal technology columnist, discusses her new book 'I Am Not a Robot' and her decision to leave her prestigious role to start New Things, her own media company. The episode explores what Stern learned after going all-in on automation and living with robot technology, examining the gap between what tech companies promise and what people actually want.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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Living With Robots to Understand Technology

Stern immersed herself in consumer robot technology—actually living with automation systems—to write her book with firsthand experience rather than speculation or secondhand reporting.

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Editorial

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The Automation-Desire Gap

Tech companies heavily invest in automation and robotics, but consumer demand for these technologies remains limited; the gap between industry narrative and actual user desire is significant.

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Leaving Prestige for Independence

After 12 years as a Wall Street Journal columnist, Stern left a prestigious, stable position to build her own media company, prioritizing creative control and direct audience connection over institutional status.

Claude ChatGPT Gemini

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Tech Industry Narrative vs. Consumer Reality

The tech industry tells stories about inevitable progress and universal desire for automation, but actual consumer behavior reveals skepticism, ambivalence, or outright resistance to these technologies.

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Video Essays as Serious Technology Criticism

Stern is building her New Things company partly through YouTube video essays, legitimizing video as a format for substantive technology journalism and criticism.

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References

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I Am Not a Robot — Joanna Stern (2026) — Stern's new book examining automation and AI, launching her New Things media company

Misc

✧Stern left the Wall Street Journal after 12 years as senior technology columnist to start her own media company

✧She tested consumer robots before writing the book, living with automation technology to understand real-world adoption

✧The episode explores the disconnect between tech industry narratives around automation and actual consumer desire

✧Stern is a co-founder of The Verge and has been a recurring guest on Decoder

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