AIR Launches the AI Century Study, a Landmark 100-Year Research Effort on Human Development in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

First-of-its-kind study will follow AI-native children and families for generations to understand how AI reshapes learning, health, work, and civic life

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Institutes for Research (AIR) today announced the AI Century Study, a 100-year national research effort to understand how AI is reshaping human development and society.

The study will begin with the first generation of children growing up with AI in everyday life. AIR will follow participants from communities across the United States as they grow up, examining how exposure to and use of AI shape cognition and learning, health and well-being, skills and work trajectories, civic engagement, and long-term opportunity.

"AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, in ways that will continue to evolve," said Jessica Heppen, president and CEO of AIR. "Its most profound effects on human cognition, behavior, opportunities, and experiences will unfold over years and decades, not months. The AI Century Study reflects our long-term commitment to providing vital insights about how the human condition changes in the age of AI."

Unlike short-term or one-time studies, the AI Century Study will return to participating families at regular intervals for repeated data collection, allowing researchers to observe how AI-related experiences and outcomes evolve across key life stages. This long-term design will help identify patterns that are difficult to detect in snapshots-and clarify how impacts differ by context, including varying access to technology and resources.

"The purpose of the AI Century Study is not to advocate for a predetermined outcome," said Joseph P. Wilson, managing director at AIR and the study's lead researcher. "It's to measure what's changing as AI becomes more embedded in daily life-and what that means for people's learning, health, and ongoing opportunities."

Findings from the AI Century Study will be shared publicly as the research unfolds. Learn more by visiting the study page and subscribing for updates.

About AIREstablished in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health, and the workforce. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit https://www.air.org.