Joanna Stern Backs AI Voice Tools After 1-Year Experiment as 57% of Workers Use AI

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 23

After testing AI for nearly everything over a year, Joanna Stern said voice tools were the one application she kept using, while weaker gadgets like a T-shirt folder and household robots fell away.
ChatGPT Voice Mode and custom “BookBots” built with ChatGPT and Claude became her main sounding boards, helping her brainstorm, copyedit and work through ideas while driving, walking or using AirPods.
Stern said the spoken format feels more natural and less judgmental than typing, cuts screen distraction and helps her arrive at meetings or interviews less anxious and better prepared.
Her conclusion lands as workplace AI adoption broadens: 57% of employees use AI at work, and 73% of daily or weekly users say it boosts productivity.
Stern still warned that AI can hallucinate and should not replace human relationships, saying voice bots are useful for brainstorming but "not human."

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