Leading Cross-Sector Collaboration for Human Flourishing
The key question that animates my work in cross-sector collaboration and interdisciplinary research is: How might we design our technologies, businesses, and economies to serve human flourishing?
My current mission is to ensure that new technologies like advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems are designed and used in ways that truly enhance human well-being and our shared social life that facilitates our thriving. While many experts focus on different aspects of AI systems or human well-being, my contribution is bringing diverse experts and practitioners together to collaborate, align on transcending human values, and create strategies that ensure AI systems serve human ends.
The Challenge
Before we dive headlong into AI-driven solutions, we need to organize the humans behind the technologies. AI systems can’t align the people who build and govern them—this requires intentional coordination, a shared understanding of human flourishing, and most importantly, authentic, trusting relationships.
The Work: Cross-Sector Collaboration
With two decades of experience, I’ve facilitated collaboration across public, corporate, philanthropic, and academic sectors. I’ve learned from both failures and successes what makes cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration positive and impactful. One has to understand the different languages, measures of success, and cultural values that animate each group. I have also learned that our shared humanness can connect us across classic divides.
My work is centered on finding common ground and then using that alignment to create multi-sector solutions that drive social impact. Whether through strategic partnerships, policy influence, or fundraising for high-impact initiatives, I specialize in aligning diverse stakeholders to prioritize human flourishing alongside dominant frameworks like profit and national security.
As a facilitator, I lead complex discussions, strategic planning efforts, and develop conceptual frameworks that ensure our technologies, businesses and economies support human flourishing.
HumanConnections.AI: Shaping the Future of AI for Social Connection and Human Flourishing
The mission of HumanConnections.AI is to ensure that artificial intelligence actively fosters human flourishing and strengthens social bonds—rather than disrupting them. Through the HumanConnections.AI Salon, co-hosted by the Harvard Human Flourishing Program and Preston-Werner Ventures, and supported by Omidyar Network and Einhorn Collaborative, we brought together leaders from tech, academia, policy, and philanthropy to chart a path for AI that nurtures mental well-being and healthy relationships.
This collective effort now focuses on practical solutions, including new funding streams for AI start-ups, tools to measure AI’s impact on relational well-being, risk mitigation tools for investors, standards to protect young people, and public dialogues to guide future policy and product design.
“This event on AI + Human Connections was great as expected. Conversations since then have been the real surprise. I’ve found so many technologists who want to talk about these issues, responsible AI, etc. It is a markedly different tone than the early days of social for instance, when the harms weren’t on people’s minds. This frame around “human flourishing” has been particularly interesting since it’s a positive goal, vs. simply avoiding problems (typical Trust & Safety or algorithmic bias frames). It gives something inspiring to work toward.”
“It was such an honor to join an incredible panel at HumanConnections.AI Salon, hosted by The Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University and Preston-Werner Ventures, discussing one of today’s most pressing questions - “How can we build tech that fosters true social connectedness?” We dove into hard-hitting topics, like rethinking business models for user well-being and the urgency of not experimenting on vulnerable populations, especially kids. TL;DR AI should amplify our humanity, not replace it. As we forge new paths, mindful, human-centered design is essential!”
“When a space is anchored by norms of mutual respect, curiosity, and candor, good things become possible. I especially loved learning from founders and investors. Turns out we all care fiercely about the wellbeing of babies, children, and teens.”
Speaking Engagements and Press
AI & the Future of Loneliness at SXSW, March 11, 2024
“Have you ever said “thank you” to Alexa? Or “goodbye” to a customer service chatbot? Integrating AI into our daily routines has sparked discussion over whether it has led to increased feelings of loneliness. After all, as technology develops and more jobs become automated, we have less contact with humans than ever before. One way developers are trying to combat this? Deploying applications of AI that can imitate the voices of loved ones. So is AI making us more or less lonely? In this discussion, hear from experts who will talk about the effects AI can have on our everyday lives.”
The Loneliness Cure, Financial Times, April 6th, 2024
This Financial Times story highlights the ongoing debate on the role of artificial intelligence in addressing complex social issues like loneliness, underscoring the importance of thoughtful engagement and the cautious integration of technology in fostering genuine human connections.
Synthetic Intimacy, Sifted/Financial Times Newsletter, May 14, 2024
In my article for Sifted, I explore the growing trend of AI-powered companions designed to provide emotional or intimate connections between chatbots and users. By replicating a human’s personality and looks and speaking directly to the users needs and interests, these chatbots offer a sense of personalized interaction at scale. While they open up new revenue streams for businesses and investors, they raise risks of increasing social isolation, the decline of our in-person social capabilities and potential negative health impacts. I raise questions about the business models and incentives behind these new companies and how we might evaluate their impact on human flourishing.
“I appreciate Renate’s, as well as Ron Ivey’s, leadership speaking about the dangers of the AI fake girlfriend/boyfriend industry and the risk of this leading to greater loneliness.”
Research
Invited Talks
The Civic AI Summit at Rhodes House, The Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford, on the 25th of March 2026.
MIT Media Lab Seminar Series: Designing AI to Help Kids Flourish, September 4th, 2025
SHINE Conference at Harvard University. Keynote: Humanizing Tech Adoption. September 25th, 2025
Global Solutions Initiative Summit: Panel on AI and the Future of Work. T20 Advisory Body to the G20. May 06, 2025
Human Flourishing Forum, Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Vatican. Keynote: Human Flourishing: A Guiding Principle for AI Systems Design. May 2024.
Pontifical Academy of Sciences: Humanizing Digital Networks. Vatican. June 2023
Publications
Ivey, R., & Shevlin, H. (2026, May 4th). Designing AI Policy for Child and Youth Flourishing. Noēsis Collaborative & Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6712518
Lomas, T., Ivey, R., Lee, M. T., Kobau, R., VanderWeele, T. J., Worthington, E. L., & The Global Flourishing Study Consortium. (2025). Systemic drivers and personal outcomes of flourishing: Integrating Harvard and SAGE frameworks through analysis of the Global Flourishing Study and the Gallup World Poll. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5240436
Case, B., Corbin, I. M., Ivey, R., Teubner, J., Bachiochi, E., Cowden, R., Cratty, F., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Reconnecting our communities: Social flourishing on the far side of “our epidemic of loneliness and isolation”. International Journal of Wellbeing, 15(4), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v15i4.4839
Ivey, R. M. (2024, May 14). Synthetic intimacy: Is AI solving the loneliness epidemic or making it worse? Sifted / Financial Times Newsletter. https://sifted.eu/articles/ai-companions-intimacy-onlyfans/
Ivey, R. (2022, February 20). Society Inc.: The perils and opportunities of ESG investing. American Affairs, 6(1), 3–17. https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2022/02/society-inc/
Ivey, R., & Shirk, T. (2021, November 16). Let’s leave trickle-down behind for ‘gush-up’ economics [Opinion]. Newsweek. www.newsweek.com/lets-leave-trickle-down-behind-gush-economics-opinion-1643564
Ivey, R. M., & Teubner, J. D. (2025). Policy brief: Designing AI to help children flourish. Global Solutions Journal, 7(11), S12–S23. https://www.global-solutions-initiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/v7_WS_GS_journal_11_S12-23.pdf
Lomas, T., Snower, D., Case, B., Padgett, R. N., Felton, C., Ivey, R. M., Teubner, J., Corbin, I. M., Ortega, F., Eichstaedt, J., Pawelski, J., Mayer, C., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Systemic drivers and personal outcomes of flourishing: Integrating Harvard and SAGE frameworks through analysis of the Global Flourishing Study and the Gallup World Poll. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7810593/v1 (Pre-Print)
Lomas, T., Teubner, J., Ivey, R. M., & Case, B. (2025). Into the metaverse (with Lex Fridman and Mark Zuckerberg): Exploring the ontological adventures, potentials, and risks of a new dimension of being. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19326.09286 (Pre-Print)
Smith, M. L., Racoosin, J., Wilkerson, R., Ivey, R. M., Hawkley, L., Holt-Lunstad, J., & Cudjoe, T. K. M. (2023). Societal- and community-level strategies to improve social connectedness among older adults. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1176895. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1176895 (PubMed)
Ivey, R., & Pabst, A. (2021, September 20). National voluntary service: A path to a culture of solidarity. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/national-voluntary-service-path-culture-solidarity-opinion-1630291
Ivey, R., & Shirk, T. (2021, August 20). Ending America’s antisocial contract. American Affairs, 5(3), 44–65. https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2021/08/ending-americas-antisocial-contract/
Pabst, A., & Ivey, R. (2021, April 7). Why we must build a new civic covenant. New Statesman. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2021/04/why-we-must-build-new-civic-covenant
Smith, M. (2021, June 7). Infrastructure funds can transform lonely places into convivial cities. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/infrastructure-funds-can-transform-lonely-places-convivial-cities-opinion-1597176
Blog
