CHT’s Emerging Voices in AI and Society Fellowship
Program Overview
Center for Humane Technology works to make sense of how consequential technologies are impacting society — and what can be done about it. We interpret and bring clarity to a fast-moving landscape, raise the questions that technology forces us to confront, and connect day-to-day harms to the deeper systemic incentives driving them. Our role is not just to sound the alarm, but to elevate the conversation, shaping the urgent ideas of our time, and to advance solutions so that people feel equipped to act.
Our newly launched Emerging Voices in AI and Society Fellowship exists because this work requires more voices than CHT currently has.
Apply to be a CHT Fellow
Key Details:
Fellowship Size: 3 Fellows (pilot cohort)
Duration: 6 months, beginning Sept 14 2026 through March 18, 2017
Commitment: 15 hours a week, 10 hours overlapping with EST, remote
Compensation: Fixed stipend of $30,000 paid based on the completion of three milestones
Application Deadline: Sunday, July 12 11:59pm EST
Available Focus Areas
AI and Cognition
As AI tools become embedded in how we learn, work, and make decisions, fundamental questions about human cognition are coming into focus. At the heart of this is a simple question: is AI more like a calculator — a tool that extends what we can do without fundamentally changing how we think — or is it something qualitatively different? AI may enable us to do more, but does it actually improve our thinking? What happens to judgment, critical thinking, and intellectual independence when entire thinking processes can be offloaded to machines? Does it matter which cognitive tasks we delegate, and which we retain? Is the same true of adults versus kids? What does it actually mean to think, and where does the boundary between human cognition and machine assistance begin to blur? When hundreds of millions of people rely on the same small set of models, what does that mean for the diversity of thought at scale? What aspects of human cognition are critical to retain?
CHT is seeking a fellow to help build rigorous understanding of these questions — bringing empirical, philosophical, or interdisciplinary perspective to bear on what AI is actually doing to human cognition, and what that means for individuals and society over time.
Available Focus Areas
Select Pillar
AI and Cognition
As AI tools become embedded in how we learn, work, and make decisions, fundamental questions about human cognition are coming into focus. At the heart of this is a simple question: is AI more like a calculator — a tool that extends what we can do without fundamentally changing how we think — or is it something qualitatively different? AI may enable us to do more, but does it actually improve our thinking? What happens to judgment, critical thinking, and intellectual independence when entire thinking processes can be offloaded to machines? Does it matter which cognitive tasks we delegate, and which we retain? Is the same true of adults versus kids? What does it actually mean to think, and where does the boundary between human cognition and machine assistance begin to blur? When hundreds of millions of people rely on the same small set of models, what does that mean for the diversity of thought at scale? What aspects of human cognition are critical to retain?
CHT is seeking a fellow to help build rigorous understanding of these questions — bringing empirical, philosophical, or interdisciplinary perspective to bear on what AI is actually doing to human cognition, and what that means for individuals and society over time.
Fellowship Expectations
As part of the completion of the fellows program, fellows are expected to:
Complete one flagship output — a research piece, long-form essay, or report intended for public impact that will be leveraged across formats (video, social, etc.)
Write 1–3 op-eds placed in target outlets and/or published on Substack
Participate in one podcast episode on Your Undivided Attention or another CHT platform, where a good fit
Participate in CHT's broader content and media ecosystem
Attend three mandatory cohort meetings and mandatory bi-weekly check-ins with the Senior Director of Strategy & Impact
Who Should Apply
CHT is looking for mid-career experts from interdisciplinary backgrounds with media experience and excitement to apply to our fellowship program. You might be:
A researcher or junior faculty member in psychology, sociology, philosophy, cognitive science, communications, or science and technology studies who has been studying the human impacts of technology
A policy analyst or former government official who has been working on AI governance, digital rights, or platform accountability
A journalist or writer who covers technology and society
A civil society advocate or organizer who has been working on tech accountability, digital rights, or community impacts of AI and brings the perspective of the people most affected
Someone who came up inside the tech industry who has insight on how these systems are built and what drives the decisions behind them
You're a good fit if you:
Published op-eds, essays on Substack, or peer-reviewed work that they can also explain to a general audience
Spoken at conferences where their ideas reach people outside their immediate field
Have an active on social media and are building a following around their ideas
Expertise
Early- to mid-career, with a focus on the impacts of technology on society — understands that the most important AI questions are not just technical
Comfortable operating in an interdisciplinary setting, at the intersection of technology, human psychology, and social structures
Delivery-oriented research mindset: proven experience advancing rigorous research while reliably shipping concrete deliverables on time; able to navigate trade-offs between depth and timeliness.
Intellectually honest enough to distinguish between what we know, what we suspect, and what remains genuinely open
Communication and Public Presence
A natural communicator who is already active and engaged on the issues they care about
Able to bring complex ideas to diverse audiences, through writing, speaking, or an active public presence
A willingness to adjust message delivery in order to effectively meet a diverse range of audiences,An existing audience or social media following is a plus but not a requirement; what matters is the demonstrated appetite and ability to communicate publicly
Alignment with the CHT frame
Understands that AI harms are predictable products of specific business models, design choices, and institutional incentives
Believes that the trajectory of AI is not inevitable — that design, policy, and cultural norms can shift outcomes — and brings that constructive orientation to their work
Understands the importance of addressing near, mid, and longer term harms and does not fall into the binary of AI Ethics vs AI Safety
Demonstrate a healthy questioning of the information and narratives put forth by technology companies, always investigating why companies may be incentivized to say or do what they’re saying or doing
Equally demonstrates a nuanced perspective of the issues at hand while also knowing when decisive action needs to be taken to move the needle
Prioritizes impact over performative actions
Benefits
Fellows will receive a $30,000 stipend based on the completion of key milestones for the program. Additionally, fellows will receive:
Bi-weekly guidance from the Senior Director of Strategy and Impact
Research support from CHT's Research Team
Editorial, communications, and graphic design support across deliverables
Media training and media placement support via CHT's PR agency
A CHT email address and access to selected CHT Slack channels for the duration of the fellowship
Listing on CHT's public fellows page
How to Apply
A 1-2 page research proposal describing your proposed research, why the questions are worth answering, and how it aligns with CHT’s framing
A CV or resume (2 pages max)
A brief statement (200–300 words) describing why you are a good fit for the position.
A writing sample demonstrating research and analysis (a paper, working paper, or blog post).
FAQs
The CHT Fellows Program is open to early- to mid-career researchers, writers, journalists, practitioners, and thinkers with demonstrated expertise in AI and its societal implications. We welcome applicants from a range of disciplines and backgrounds — what matters most is the quality of your thinking, your ability to communicate publicly, and your alignment with CHT's frame.
The fellowship is open to applicants outside the United States.
In addition to a $30,000 stipend based on the completion of key milestones, fellows will receive:
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Bi-weekly guidance from the Senior Director of Strategy and Impact
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Research support from CHT's Research Team
-
Editorial, communications, and graphic design support across deliverables
-
Media training and media placement support via CHT's PR agency
-
A CHT email address and access to selected CHT Slack channels for the duration of the fellowship
-
Listing on CHT's public fellows page
The inaugural cohort begins on September 14, 2026 and runs for six months through early March 19, 2027.
The application window opens in June 2026 and closes Sunday, July 12 2026. Offers will be extended in mid August 2026, with onboarding materials and Slack access provided ahead of the September start date.
The fellowship is fully remote. Fellows are expected to work 15 hours a week, overlapping with Eastern Time for at least 10 hours per week. There may be one in-person gathering at the close of the fellowship term — format and location to be confirmed.
Fellows are expected to deliver:
- One flagship output – a research piece, long form essay or report for public impact and for CHT to leverage this content further (video content, social posts, etc)
- 1-3 op-eds placed in target outlets and/or Substack posts
- One podcast episode (YUA or other CHT platform), where a good fit
- Participation in CHT's broader content and media ecosystem – these will be tied to some KPIs for BG to find opportunities for fellows
CHT is committed to actively amplifying fellows' work throughout and beyond their term. This includes:
- Working with fellows to place 1–3 op-eds in target outlets and/or CHT's Substack
- Facilitating at least one podcast appearance on Your Undivided Attention as aligned
- Promotion of fellows' published work across CHT's social media channels
- Listing on CHT's public fellows page for the duration of the fellowship and beyond
- Integration of fellows' research into CHT's broader public communications, policy work, and media appearances where relevant
The fellowship stipend is $30,000, distributed across three milestones tied to the flagship deliverable:
- Milestone 1: Project proposal finalized
- Milestone 2: First draft submitted
- Milestone 3: Final version delivered
If a fellow exits the program before completing their fellowship, the stipend will be based on the milestones completed.
Yes. Fellows retain full freedom to publish and speak independently on work unrelated to their CHT fellowship. We do ask that any work that could represent a clear conflict of interest be disclosed to the Senior Director of Strategy and Impact in advance.
IP terms are governed by the fellowship agreement.
Yes. CHT will provide editorial guidance to help shape all flagship deliverables for public impact and quality standards. This guidance is meant to strengthen fellows’ work helping elevate their thinking and research, not to constrain or determine the outcomes. Fellows remain the authors of their deliverables based on the intellectual property terms of the agreement.
Fellows are selected based on the criteria outlined in the program description. The final selection decision is made by the CHT leadership team.
Yes. We encourage strong candidates who are not selected for the inaugural cohort to apply again in a future cycle.
Yes. Fellows are welcome to apply for up to two topic areas. Please indicate both in your application and submit two separate research proposals.
We understand that circumstances change. If you need to exit before completing your fellowship, your stipend will be based on the milestones you have completed at the time of exit. That said, we ask that all applicants be thoughtful about their capacity and commitments before applying.
