AI Companion Workshop: Community-Engaged, Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Emotional Support and Health Coaching Technologies
The AI Companion Workshop brings together scholars, clinicians, technologists, ethicists, and community partners for a focused, case-based exploration of artificial intelligence systems designed to provide emotional support and health coaching. As AI companions are increasingly used in mental health, chronic disease management, and everyday well-being, they raise critical questions about safety, trust, equity, accountability, and ethical design.
Funded by the Columbia Data Science Institute’s Frontiers in Data Science and AI initiative and sponsored by the AI for Social Good and Society (AI4SGS) Initiative, this multidisciplinary workshop will center on a shared case study. Through structured dialogue and interactive audience roundtables, participants will examine real-world tensions surrounding AI companions and consider what responsible, community-engaged AI should look like in practice. The workshop is designed to foster cross-disciplinary learning and seed future collaborations in the responsible development of AI for health and social good.
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Registration Request Form: Registration will be prioritized for Columbia faculty, postdoctoral researchers, affiliated scholars, and invited external guests. If you are a student, you may be waitlisted to attend until closer to the event date. All who submit a registration request will receive a confirmation email and a calendar invitation if your registration is approved. Thank you again for your interest in attending!