In this special edition of The Exchange, we’re spotlighting voices from More Human: Life, Democracy, and Connection in the Age of AI, our recent event in Boston, presented in collaboration with our media partner, USA TODAY. There, we brought together researchers, organizers, journalists, and civic leaders to explore how AI is changing the ways we work, learn, connect, and participate in our communities—and what we want to preserve about being human as these technologies become a bigger part of our lives.
Our conversation was grounded in Murmuration’s latest research, supported by the Walton Family Foundation. AI and the Human Future: Americans’ Views on Artificial Intelligence Across Life, Society, and Democracy explores how Americans are navigating AI and where they believe human judgment, connection, and participation should remain central. The findings reveal a mix of optimism and concern: Americans recognize AI’s potential to expand access to knowledge and make everyday tasks easier, but they also have questions about misinformation, privacy, critical thinking, and the possibility that technology could come at the expense of human connection. They want AI to support how people think and learn, not replace their judgment, and they believe people should have a meaningful voice in decisions about how these technologies shape their communities and democracy.
Thank you to Sarah Stamper, Abby Binder, Danielle Allen, and Susan Page for sharing their perspectives and helping us explore these questions from different angles. Their conversations underscored that the future of AI is not just a question of what technology can do, but what we want it to do for us—and how we can ensure that the future we build keeps people, relationships, and civic life at its center.
More Human Research Overview & Community Perspectives
Sarah Stamper | Chief Research Officer, Murmuration
“At the heart of everything we heard over and over and over again was that Americans are asking for a future in which human agency, human connection, and human judgment remain at the center.”
Read the full transcript of Sarah Stamper’s lightning talk on what listening to 35,000 people revealed about Americans’ views on AI and human connection.
Youth Identity, Culture & Relationships
Abby Binder | Rithm Project Fellow
“AI and big tech don’t get to decide what remains human. We do, and we have to set the norms together, especially with our young people.”
Read the full transcript of Abby Binder’s lightning talk on Gen Z’s relationship between identity and belonging, and AI.
Democracy & Organizing in the Age of AI
Danielle Allen | Author and Political Philosopher at Harvard University
“The point I want to make is that democracy is a technology. It’s like 37,000 antique clocks scattered around the country, and every one needs to be upgraded. And we have to figure out how to do that together.”
Read the full transcript of Danielle Allen’s lightning talk on how civic participation and organizing must evolve in an AI world.
Trust & Truth
Susan Page | USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief
“It takes humans to provide judgment, oversight, and ethics, and it takes humans to fulfill journalists’ fundamental and enduring role in civic life: to tell the truth and convince Americans they can trust us to tell the truth, and to provide the shared information upon which the decisions of a democracy can be made.”
Read the full transcript of Susan Page’s lightning talk exploring how AI has impacted our ability to trust and find the truth in today’s changing media landscape.
While our More Human event may be over, the research that inspired these lightning talks lives on. Check out Murmuration’s research report to explore the data that shaped the event.
Murmuration is a nonprofit working to transform America into a nation where everyone can thrive. We organize a network of community-focused partners and equip them with the insights, tools, and services they need to help communities build and activate power more effectively. murmuration.org
This research was supported by the Walton Family Foundation, which has funded Murmuration’s Gen Z research efforts since 2021. Learn more about our ongoing research partnership and findings on the youngest generation of voters.