#742
Long break. Time flies with Maithri and Samarth. Boy Samarth is 9 months today. Maithri 4, in a few days. We now begin to think about our departure for Bangalore in few weeks, wonder how it will feel leaving the infants?
Last Tuesday, May 19, 2026, I had the pleasure of attending Joanna Stern’s (Ex-Tech Correspondent WSJ) book event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. My son Shravan thoughtfully arranged the evening for us, and I’m so grateful he did. The 90-minute program featured a lively discussion between Joanna and tech podcast host Neelay Patel, followed by a book signing that left a lasting impression.
Joanna signed my copy of I Am Not a Robot with a simple yet powerful message: “Be Human.” Those two words perfectly capture the spirit of her work. In an age when AI is advancing rapidly, her reminder feels both timely and essential. As I told Shravan afterward, we will never trade genuine human connection for a “Hi-fi” interaction with an AI bot. Technology can assist us, but it should never replace the warmth, nuance, and authenticity of real human relationships.
The book itself is both enlightening and entertaining. Joanna spent an entire year surrendering parts of her daily life to artificial intelligence—letting AI tools and robots handle household chores, health management, family transportation, decision-making, and more. She interviewed leading tech figures building this future and reported back with honesty, humor, and refreshing clarity.
The core question she explores is one we should all be asking: What happens when intelligent machines aren’t just in our pockets but are driving our cars, making decisions, folding our laundry, and educating our kids? The promises are grand—better health, personalized education, greater efficiency, more free time, and breakthroughs we can barely imagine. But Joanna’s year-long experiment reveals a more nuanced reality: one that is often hilarious, sometimes unsettling, and always deeply human.
In the age of AI, her message resonates strongly: we must continue to read deeply and not allow ourselves to be distracted by summaries, shortcuts, or algorithm-curated feeds. Real understanding comes from engaging fully with ideas, not skimming the surface.
The evening was time exceptionally well spent. Joanna’s book offers less hype and more clarity, written for ordinary people rather than just the tech enthusiasts. It’s filled with illustrations and photographs, making complex topics accessible and enjoyable.
If you’re curious about what our AI-powered future might actually look like—and how to navigate it while staying grounded in our humanity—I highly recommend I Am Not a Robot. Joanna Stern is the perfect guide: funny, honest, and refreshingly no-nonsense.
Thank you, Shravan, for making this evening possible. And thank you, Joanna, for the reminder to “Be Human.”
No comments:
Post a Comment