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I Let AI Run My Life For Five Days: Sun-Mon

Associate editor Amelia Rodriguez lets robots completely manage her life
Amelia Rodriguez, Associate Editor of San Diego Mag

Amelia in her AI-generated outfit of the day

This story is part of a series. Click here to read The PrepDays 3-4 and Day 5 .

Day One: Sunday

Making New Friends

I launch my Bumble BFF account and spend a few minutes swiping. Loathe to miss any potential matches, I swipe right on pretty much everyone. But, honestly, there’s a little part of me that hopes I won’t match with anybody—after all, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of robot-generated messages, and I feel some guilt about my plan.

Planning My Outfits

No real outfit today—AI-generated or otherwise. Unless I’m going to brunch, I spend Sundays in jammies or workout clothes.

Food Shopping & Meal Prep

Breakfast today is both Greek yogurt and oatmeal, which feels like a meal for someone who is teething. While I eat my oatmeal, I roast veggies for the next couple days and clean essentially my entire house. “This is making me more productive already!” I think, aware that if I wasn’t keeping an eye on the oven, I’d probably be out poking around shops in South Park instead of scrubbing.

Day One Meals

Day One Meals

At dinnertime, however, I become aware of two critical errors: I did not buy tahini and I did not make quinoa earlier. The tahini sauce is easily subbed for a little hummus mixed with olive oil and lemon juice, but cooking quinoa would take a solid half hour. I add a scoop of brown rice from lunch instead, possibly obliterating the macro balance that ChatGPT so carefully planned.

Exercise Schedule

My workout’s focus today is “Cardiovascular Exercise.”

Day One Exercise

Day One Exercise

Wearing my girlfriend’s half-marathon finisher t-shirt as a motivational tool, I start jogging around the quiet streets of Kensington. For a few minutes I feel hot and interesting, like a real runner—then my lungs start burning and I hear a phantom PE teacher yelling at me to pick up my mile time. Reasoning that 5.5 minutes is pretty good for someone who has never voluntarily run a day in her life, I settle for a brisk walk while gabbing with a friend on the phone.

Curating a Music Playlist

I wake up in a terrible mood, so I go to put on my trusty “Pop Girlies” playlist before remembering that I’m beholden to Xavier. He treats me to the dulcet tones of Paul Simon’s “The Obvious Child.”But, a few hours later, I’m wiping my bathroom counters when Xavier announces, “Let’s hear some songs from a playlist you’ve been listening to recently. First up, Taylor Swift.” A sampling of my “Pop Girlies” playlist floats through my phone’s speakers. I am content.


Day Two: Monday

Making New Friends

I have two matches on Bumble BFF, so I ask ChatGPT to draw up a short, friendly greeting for them.

Bumble BFF Greeting

Bumble BFF Greeting

Then I figure if I’m going to hell, I might as well do it properly. I request that ChatGPT to generate a romantic good morning text to send to my girlfriend, Michaela. It feels shady, like I’m Christian de Neuvillette and the AI is a swagless Cyrano de Bergerac.

Good Morning Text

The fact that there was no sun out on this day makes this feel kind of backhanded.

I spend the next few hours in a state of unexpected, supreme anxiety while I await a reply. Michaela isn’t clued into my plan for this story, so I can’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario response from her. What if she thinks I have been kidnapped? Am making fun of her? Am breaking up with her??? A text from Michaela finally comes through. “Who stole Amelia?” she writes.“A ROBOT!!!” I admit, more than ready to give up the jig.

Planning My Outfits

I take to StyleDNA to pick out my outfit for the first time. I choose a combo without too many shoppable items, subbing my own crossbody for the app’s suggested $295 bag. I wouldn’t have paired wide-legged pants with such a bulky pullover, but I like this outfit—it makes me feel like I run a farmers market stand.

Day Two Outfit

Day Two Outfit

When I get to work, my colleagues offer their take: “Very Silicon Valley.”Later, I change into another AI-generated outfit for my friend Kal’s birthday party at Dave & Buster’s.Once again I feel like the app has a misguided sense of proportions—while the structured jacket helps, I wouldn’t normally pair a tight top with leggings unless I was going to yoga or barre. I swapped the AI’s suggested $151 purple tote for my taupe one (embracing my colors!) and the shoppable sandals (just $26!) for brown heeled ones. The slight heel with workout clothes is objectively silly, but, to me, the playful contrast is actually the chicest part of this outfit.

Dave and Busters Outfit

Dave and Busters Outfit

Food Shopping & Meal Prep

Breakfast today slaps. It’s tasty, satiating but not heavy, and quick and easy to make (even if I have to consult my roommate on egg-poaching best practices).

Day Two Meals

Day Two Meals

Day Two Breakfast

Day Two Breakfast

Lunch is less satisfying: a feta-and-spinach-stuffed sweet potato with roasted Brussels sprouts. A few hours later, I’m ravenous, inhaling my snack the second I get home. Obviously, ChatGPT can’t predict the days when I’ll be hungrier than usual, so if I hadn’t committed to following the AI’s exact plan, I’d be supplementing with a protein bar.

Day Two Burger

Day Two Burger

Luckily, dinner provides some of the heartiness I’m craving, though I’d love to add a slice of cheddar to the burger—and again, if I were following this meal plan just for my own ease and convenience, I would! 

Exercise Schedule

Day Two Exercise

Day Two Exercise

I sign up for a one-week free trial at the nearest gym to work on today’s focus: strength training. I warm up with a yoga flow while gym bros, like, bench pine trees all around me.Then Michaela walks me through arm exercises for half an hour. I don’t feel great during or after, probably because I could use more protein and fat to fuel the workout.

Curating a Music Playlist

On my way to work, Xavier the AI DJ puts on Hozier’s “Wasteland, Baby!” It’s a little early in the morning to be thinking about the end of the world, X.Follow her weeklong adventure here: Days 3-4 and Day 5 .

By Amelia Rodriguez

Amelia Rodriguez is San Diego Magazine’s Associate Editor. The 2023 winner of the San Diego Press Club's Rising Star Award, she’s covered music, food, arts & culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her three-year Duolingo streak.

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