The AI Companion Workshop: Community-Engaged, Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Emotional Support and Health Coaching Technologies 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.
Registration Request Form: Registration will be prioritized for Columbia faculty, postdoctoral researchers, affiliated scholars, and invited external guests. If you are a student or external guest, you may be waitlisted to attend until closer to the event date. All who submit on the below form will receive a confirmation email and a calendar hold if your registration is approved. Thank you again for your interest in attending!
External Guest Deadline: If you do not have an active CUID and would like to attend, you are welcome to apply. The deadline for external registration is on Wednesday, February 25 at 12:00 PM.
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Date: Friday, March 27, 2026
Timing:
- Breakfast (9:30 AM – 10:30 AM)
- Workshop (10:30 AM – 1:30 PM)
- Networking Lunch (1:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
Location: Columbia School of Social Work (C05)
Address: 1255 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027 – Map
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.