Landmark Conference Sets Shared Research and Policy Agenda to Address AI's Psychological Harms

Leading psychologists, researchers, and representatives from advocacy, policy, media, and philanthropy unite to translate research into meaningful action.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 19th and 20th, psychologists and civil society leaders gathered at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill to address the psychological effects of AI. Leading researchers from Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia University, University College London, King's College among others, were brought into working groups with leaders spanning advocacy, policy, media and philanthropy. Their goal was not only to clarify and advance a shared research agenda, but also to inform policy and public awareness globally. By the end of the conference, participants had identified seven research priorities and outlined a plan for continued collaboration.

This first-of-its-kind conference was organized by the newly formed AI Psychological Research Coalition (AIPRC), and its key partners, the Winston Center for Technology and Brain Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Human Change Foundation, and the Future of Life Institute.

"We are in a public health emergency," said Dalia Hashad, Chief State Affairs Officer at the Future of Life Institute. "AI is fueling devastating real-world harms for children, families, and entire communities, and not even the companies building it understand the psychological damage their products can cause. So it falls to us to find solutions. This convening unites experts from across disciplines to do what industry won't."

Former U.S. Surgeon General of the United States Vivek Murthy spoke to the group in a plenary session about the need to accelerate the collaboration between research and policy so that we don't have a repeat of what occurred with social media. This sentiment was echoed by many speakers, including representatives of groups involved in the fight of social media, such as Fairplay for Kids, Social Media Victim's Law Center, Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), and Tech Justice Law Project. Other organizations represented included the JED Foundation, Child Mind Institute, Trevor Project, American Psychological Association, National Institute of Health, Pew Research Center, Brookings Institute.

The urgency of the demand for safety measures and research was driven home by the presence of national child safety advocate and founder of Blessed Mother Foundation, Megan Garcia, recognized for her advocacy against chatbot harms in TIME100 AI 2025, following the loss of her son Sewell. Youth advocacy groups, such as dumb.co (which makes "dumphone" marketed to youth), Young People's Alliance and Design it For Us (youth led policy groups calling for design reforms), also highlighted the challenges young people face as AI begins to impact all aspects of their lives.   

The response from researchers was equally urgent, spearheaded by the AIPRC scientific advisory committee, led by Dr. Annie Maheux, Winston Fellow of Psychology and Neuroscience and a member of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a catalyst for the conference, this group published the most comprehensive literature synthesis to date. [LINK] Participants reached consensus on seven areas where research is needed to help ensure AI can be safely integrated into social life.

• Mental Illness: Acute Risks, Crisis States, and Fatalities
• Cognitive Functioning: Learning, Executive Functions, and Regulation
• Social Functioning: Attachment and Relationships
• Intrapersonal Processes: Emotion Regulation and Identity
• Overreliance and Dependency: 'Addictive-like' Use
• Epistemology and Information
• Human Development: Implications for Children and Adolescents

"The psychological science is clear: our happiness, our life purpose, and even our lifespans are tied directly to the quality of our relationships with other human beings," said Mitch Prinstein of UNC Winston Center on Technology & Brain Development. "This is a moment like no other in our history when we are rapidly outsourcing so many of our interpersonal relationships to robots.  We need the study of human behavior more than ever before and the AIPRC will ensure that our emerging science can be used to help shape this critical dialogue at a real turning point for our species"

New AI safety advocacy groups were also represented, including Fathom, American Security Fund, Alliance for Secure AI, and the Alliance for a Better Future. These groups called for the creation of pre-release safety testing for any AI products given to children, including educational technologies. 

"Unchecked advanced AI is a threat to public health and ultimately to our shared humanity. The science supports growing public sentiment that we need AI safeguards to protect developing minds and prevent further harm. It's great to see so many of our brightest minds come together to explore real solutions to the mental health harms posed by AI" says Brendan Steinhauser from the Alliance for Secure AI.

In the closing sessions of the second day, the group outlined a collective action plan, which included the creation of shared research infrastructure and organizational coordination between academia, civil society, and industry. The group will create and maintain a "living literature review" for real time updates on the state of the science, as well as coordinate funding opportunities and public relations for research groups and non-profit policy organizations. Central to the conference were commitments among leading policy, legal, and public health groups, to stay in tight coordination with academic psychologists in the interest of advancing safety testing frameworks to protect the public good.

Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and NYT bestselling author, a leading figure in the field of human machine interaction, said this "a new generation of researchers is rising to the challenge of exploring how AI is changing not just what we do but who we are. This conference did the necessary: it provided them with a sense of community, it supported them with colleagues, mentors, and potential collaborators. It was exemplary.

About the AI Psychological Research Coalition (AIPRC)
The AI Psychological Research Coalition is a network of leading academic and professional institutions focused on gathering evidence, advancing research, and building a rigorous, evidence-based understanding of the psychological effects that AI systems are having on human health and wellbeing.

SOURCE AI Psychological Research Coalition (AIPRC)