Imagining the Digital Future Reports and Publications

2026 U.S. Survey: Human Purpose in Peril

Human Purpose in Peril report cover

In this 2026 survey on the impact of AI on “being human” nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults said the advance of AI is likely to undermine humans’ sense of purpose, agency and thinking. This research reveals Americans’ attitudes about the expanding and deepening impact of AI systems on human connection, our sense of personal meaning and mental capacities. While they expect AI to diminish people’s social bonds and necessary capabilities, daily AI users also report personal satisfaction about the usefulness of the bots.

2026 U.S. Survey: The Rise of AI Companions

Cover of the AI Companions report

Our May 2026 survey on uses of AI companion bots found that 27% of U.S. adults who use the internet have significant emotional or social interactions with artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot. These AI users use LLMs in ways that build bonds of connection, confidence and trust. Some have developed aspects of reliance on AI tools and prefer interacting with them to dealing with humans. They confide in them, seek advice on important life issues, roleplay scenarios that they might encounter in romantic or other settings and would be unhappy to lose access to their bots.

2026 Experts Report: Building a Human Resilience Infrastructure for the Age of AI

Building Human Resilience for the Age of AI report cover

The majority of hundreds of global experts responding to a 2026 canvassing by the Imagining the Digital Future Center urged that humans must build a highly coordinated resilience infrastructure to counterbalance the human and systemic challenges posed by advancing AI. Some 82% said AI will play a significantly larger role in shaping people’s lives and key societal functions in the next 10 years or less. In deeply detailed essay responses they urged an “institutions-first” resilience agenda due to significant challenges arising from a life-encircling AI infrastructure. More than 160 of the 386 experts wrote essays explaining their points of view.

2025 U.S. Survey: Public’s 2025 Views on Being Human in 2035

A July 2025 national survey on overall AI impact on human capacities by Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center found that more than half of American adults expect the expanded use of AI to have significant negative impact on key human capacities and behaviors over the next decade. The survey asked U.S. adults about their views on the influence people’s uses of AI systems on 12 core human capacities, such as social and emotional intelligence, analytical thinking and agency. It found that on each of those attributes, people expect that the impact of AI systems will be more negative than positive in the next 10 years.

2025 Experts Report: Being Human in 2035 –How Are We Changing in the Age of AI?

Being Human in 2035 - Imagining the Digital Future Experts Report cover art

The likely magnitude of change in humans’ native capacities and behaviors was address in a canvassing of hundreds of global technology experts in January 2025. A sigificant majority predicted that such change will be “deep and meaningful,” and some expected it will be “fundamental and revolutionary.” Many of the global tech experts who wrote essay-length responses expressed concerned that the adoption of AI systems will negatively alter humans’ sense of purpose and affect how people think, feel, act and relate to one another. Some said they hope that AI will a positive influence on humans’ curiosity, decision-making and creativity.

2025 U.S. Survey: Close Encounters of the AI Kind: The Increasingly Human-like Way People Are Engaging with Language Models

Cover image: Close encounters of the AI kind report

U.S. adults in this January 2025 survey on uses of artificial intelligence large language models reported experiencing human-to-human-like encounters with LLM bots. They said the models of the time expressed responses that mimic human personality traits in ways that are both pleasing and dismaying. About half of Americans living in households earning less than $50,000 (53%) said they use the tools. At the time of the survey, ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot were the most commonly used AI “brands.” Half of LLM users (49%) said the models they use “are smarter” than they are, including 26% who said their LLMs are “a lot smarter.” Some 54% said their use of LLMs improved their productivity a lot or somewhat. Some 50% said their use of LLMs had improved their ability to learn new skills and concepts a lot or somewhat.

2023 Experts Report + U.S. Survey: The Impact of AI by 2040

In a two-pronged Fall 2023 research initiative, Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center completed a U.S. national public opinion poll and a canvassing of more than 300 global technology developers, business and policy leaders, researchers, analysts and advocates. The research project illuminated the attitudes of the day about the potential impact of AI by 2040 on individuals’ personal lives and on bedrock aspects of society, such as politics and elections, health care delivery, education and others. The research findings in the two different studies revealed a wide range of views. Many expressed concerns over serious challenges to human well-being and worry over unprepared human systems. Some looked optimistically toward the potential for great advances in quality of life. And a great number in the middle were uncertain and uneasy about the changes that lay ahead.

Previous reports

Earlier research reports – published over the past few decades under our previous center title, the Imagining the Internet Center, can be found at the links below. This is an extensive collection of experts’ views about the likely future of digital life since 2004.