The Rithm Project

There has never been a more important time to come together to craft a vision for our collective future. When we connect across lines of difference, we’re not just sharing space; we’re sharing perspectives, experiences, and solutions that no single group can find alone. https://lnkd.in/g5njdsg5 Thank you Verónica Figoli Fleischer for your thoughts on how setting a longer table to discuss the potential and perils of generative AI brings us closer together. Thank you Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, Michael Whitehead-Bust, Parker Whitehead-Bust and Amaya for inviting the Rithm Project to co-host such a special gathering and for opening your beautiful home to this profound spirit of community. Ami Desai, @Autumn Larkin, Barbara Atkeson, Beth Cobert, Bill Fulton, Brooke Brown, Christine Johnson ??, Christina Heitz, David Berthy, David Lanstein, David Miller, Ella Galaty, Eric Chan, Fatima R. , Gloria A. Zamora, Jonah Martinez, Kevin Prentiss, Lisa Farber Miller, Lisa Zuniga Ramirez, CFA, FSA, Luis Duarte, Mara Rose, Marcia Fulton, Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, Nina Lopez, Priya Burkett, Russell Ramsey, savinay nathan, Selamawit (Selam) Gebre, @Sofia Mendoza, Tasha L. Jones, Twylah Stewart, Verónica Figoli Fleischer, Zach Kennelly.

One of the best things about our work here at the Rithm Project is learning from and being inspired by young people working at the intersection of human thriving and AI - and Jason Hausenloy and Saheb Gulati at Center for Youth and AI are at the very forefront of this work. On an otherwise difficult and turbulent day, Alison Lee, Ph.D had the chance visit Berkeley campus Wednesday to talk to Jason, a college freshman at UC Berkeley, in person - to hear his commitment, concerns, and hopes for how their organization aims to shape AI policy with youth voices and expertise at its center. She left in awe and more hopeful, optimistic, and committed to our charge here at the Rithm Project: to lift young people’s individual and collective agency to shape the future of AI in service of human connection. Jason and Saheb’s organization, Center for Youth and AI, just published their first set of research in collaboration with YouGov, surveying over 1,000 high schoolers on their perspectives on AI. This first-of-its-kind research, for and by young people, asks: What do young people actually think about AI? Their report [https://lnkd.in/gn-6Srpw] is worth a deeper dive, but here’s our take on some of the most provocative findings: - 47% of participants use AI tools several times a week or more - Nearly 3 in 5 are concerned about AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes - Most notably, they found that young people surveyed had “strong opposition to romantic relationships between humans and AIs. 68% of respondents find such relationships unacceptable, compared to only 24% who find them acceptable. However, attitudes towards friendships with AIs are more evenly split, with 46% finding them acceptable and 44% unacceptable.” And finally, one young person remarked: “I just hope that as AI gets more powerful, we don’t lose touch with what makes us human. I don’t want to live in a world where everything is just automated and we’re not needed anymore.” (Age 17) The kids are gonna be alright - and here at the Rithm Project, we’re doubling down on our bet to empower young people to fight for the kind of human-centered world they deserve.

Check out this timely, inspiring use case for generative AI! Zach Kennelly’s students at DSST Public Schools CVHS used their creativity, collaboration and voice to empower Colorado voters by building vote.boxcar.ai. They built this themselves using the Playlab AI platform. https://lnkd.in/gpEM6zKY ??Some student reflections: “I learned that I am capable of doing more and that our ideas can make a change and have an impact on not only us but the people around us” “I learned that voting doesn't have to be this impossible thing that's out of my reach; anyone (who is eligible) can vote.” “I learned how to create something without having a guide showing me how to do it.” ???Shout out to Colorado Public Radio and Jenny Brundin for elevating student voices during this important election! ??? #responsibleAI #democracy #youthleadership

Imagine that you're in a team meeting via zoom, a virtual coffee date, or an online product demo/pitch- and you leave feeling deeply connected to the other people in that engagement... How might you feel if you discovered that AI had been used to alter their facial features to foster greater levels of attunement, trust and connection with you? It sounds wild, but this recent study reveals the possibility of using artificial intelligence to manipulate social connections in this way. The researchers simply set out to better understand how social signals like smiles influence interactions — and in doing so, they used AI to subtly change the smiles of people who were connecting via a custom-made video dating platform. The changes were small, but the results were significant.... When AI was used to increase the smiles of both participants simultaneously, those participants reported feeling?most?attracted to each other. And when the conversations where observed smiles were simultaneously manipulated in the?same way, (either in a bigger or diminished way), those conversations?were rated as being of the highest quality. Said simply, AI revealed its power to impact how individuals felt about each other and their interactions. What might this mean for the future of AI-mediated influence & manipulation? How might this impact our relational trust? Has the genie been released from the bottle or can this future still be regulated and shaped? How might we best prepare young people for this possible future? https://lnkd.in/gJT6Uu5F #responsibleAI #humanconnection #attunement #trust #agency

This tragedy speaks to the complexity of supporting young people experiencing mental health crises and specifically to the many unknowns and possible risks as more teens look to AI companions as a salve for loneliness. Worth a read as we take stock of this moment as a "canary in the coal mine"... https://lnkd.in/gbNkaih9 #teenmentalhealth #responsibleai #humanconnection

In the youth wellbeing space we frequently talk about elevating youth voices, and incorporating them in the development of solutions in meaningful ways. It makes all the sense in the world..if you're developing a resource or program for teens, teens better be in the room where it happens. If you're a nonprofit, startup or corporate leader you might be thinking...I know it's important to engage young people, but how do I KNOW what's meaningful? How do I engage them in the right way? How do I even get started? Some good news! Four leaders in our ecosystem have combined forces to develop a resource on exactly this. The Youth Voice Playbook has dropped, and it is a powerful contribution to the youth wellbeing space. Why? ? It offers practical tools to help you engage with young people, now ? Based on thousands of hours of youth-informed work ? Immersive storytelling, honest insights, and real stories from young people Congratulations on the phenomenal work Hopelab, Character Lab, In Tandem, and the Center for Digital Thriving ?? Young Futures Org Dr. Kristine G. Sierra Malia Fox-Woods Kelsey Noonan Pivotal Ventures Susan Crown Exchange Kevin Connors Celine Coggins Ph.D. The Goodness Web (TGW) Emily Weinstein Carrie James Beck Tench Eduardo Lara Jaspal Sandhu Margaret Laws Amy Green Joshua Lavra Dave Hersh #YoungFutures

"We're moving quickly these days to build our capabilities with artificial intelligence. How might we match that by becoming even more attuned to our "embodied intelligence" as well?"

Several decades ago, Sherry Turkle coined the term, “alone together” to explore why we increasingly expect less from each other and more from our technology. This morning, Andrew Buher offers a nuanced glimpse into how young people are spending their time these days and theories for why… https://lnkd.in/g5XU-r-W

The Call for Applications for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop’s Well-Being by Design Fellowship is now open! This five-month, virtual professional development program is open to all mid-career designers of young peoples' interactive media and tech. Learn more about the program here, and please share with youth tech product professionals in your networks:?https://lnkd.in/gVBRHUW4

"I am deeply concerned that AI is accelerating at such a pace that we don't have spaces to bring people together to think about the implications on our humanity and on our relationships and how we connect to people. And so I think its particularly important to bring people together who have great insight but also that tenacity and that energy to actually get things done." Thanks for the call to action Kim Smith!