Research
Technology — especially AI — is rapidly reshaping how young people connect. Our research arm is dedicated to staying on top of these shifts and forecasting emerging trends, creating an evolving picture of what connection looks like today and where it is heading.
Our goal? To uncover insights that help young people — and those who support them — build a future that prioritizes connection over isolation.
A new approach
for a pressing challenge
AI is transforming daily life at an unprecedented pace. To keep up, our research approach is:
Youth-Driven: Young people are the experts of their own experience, and often the early adopters and innovators of new technologies. We keep our pulse on their perspective through surveys, rich interviews, and group conversations—and enlist youth leaders to help co-interpret the data.
Equity-Oriented: We look at the big picture but also ask, who stands to benefit most, and who is most vulnerable? How are the inequities of society showing up in technology and systems that support connection?
Real-Time & Long-Term: Traditional research can take years to publish, and even then, can be hard to access. We break that mold by balancing deep, long-term studies with rapid insights, sharing what we’re learning as we go—because, with AI innovations evolving at the speed of light, we can’t afford to wait.
Actionable: Research should do more than sit on a shelf. We weave traditional research practices and a user-design mindset to create practical tools that help young people make informed choices and equip educators, parents, and technologists to create environments that support connection.
What we’re up to lately…
AI + Human
Connection Youth Fellowship
We’ve brought together four brilliant young leaders to tackle a big question: What makes AI prosocial? Together, we’re defining the key dimensions that determine whether AI strengthens or weakens human connection—and using them to audit emerging AI trends and products.
"What’s the
Vibe with AI?"
For our inaugural research study, in partnership with In Tandem and AERDF, we asked 27 young people (ages 14-18) how AI is shaping human connection. Their insights? Thoughtful, cautiously optimistic, and deeply aware of both the possibilities and risks—especially when it comes to synthetic companionship.