In moments of rapid technological change, families are society’s early warning system. When caregiving becomes more difficult, jobs become more precarious, or emotional strain becomes more visible, it signals deep structural stress, long before economic models or tech developers catch up.
In addition to the valuable perspectives on supporting individuals, we need to examine how AI may be used to support and harm the family as its own ecosystem. AI is potentially reshaping the fabric of our lives at a faster pace than any prior technological revolution; if we fail to prioritize families now, we risk undermining the foundational bonds that hold society together.
As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once wrote, American social policy has long focused on individuals, while neglecting the family as “the fundamental group unit of society” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16). That omission is no longer tenable. Especially in the AI era, protecting and strengthening families is essential to ensuring societal well-being and resilience.
About the Seminar
This Capita seminar will help professionals and organizations to take a family and their communities’ perspective in addressing the opportunities and risks that AI presents.
We’ll explore how AI impacts the social, economic, and emotional infrastructure of family life—from workforce volatility and financial hardship to the harms to mental health, social disconnection, and the fraying of our social bonds. We’ll also examine the significant harms new technologies pose to children and other vulnerable populations.
Seminar co-moderator Elana Banin recently wrote that:
Every industrial revolution has reshaped family life. Steam power moved households from farms to factories. Mass production sent women and children into wage labor. The Internet transformed how a generation learns, plays, and connects. Now, artificial intelligence is entering classrooms, workplaces, and even clinics, bringing new forms of disruption and possibility. It is in the family where economic shocks and technological fractures appear first, leaving them out of AI governance is profoundly shortsighted.
But families are also not just vulnerable to emerging risks; they are also powerful sources of resilience and innovation. Throughout history, they have adapted creatively to each new wave of technological advancement. This seminar will explore both dimensions: how to mitigate risks while also learning from and amplifying the resilience of families and their communities.
Building on these insights, the seminar will help participants examine how AI governance, policy, and organizational design can better align technological progress with the health and stability of families and their communities, the common good, and ultimately human flourishing.
Over two days, participants will engage in facilitated discussions and peer exchange designed to build practical tools and foresight capabilities that strengthen professional and organizational capacity in an era of rapid technological change.
Seminar Focus Areas
Framing AI governance around families
- How can professionals and organizations integrate the family, not just the individual, as a central lens in AI governance and policy design?
- What strategies and safeguards can ensure families are supported rather than harmed by AI-driven decisions?
Learning from history and building resilience
- What can professionals and leaders learn from past technological revolutions about how they reshaped family life? How might these lessons guide us toward intergenerational responsibility, resilience and social cohesion in the AI era?
- What lessons from non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) societies might expand our understanding of family-centered governance?
Applying a family lens to professional practice
- How can professionals across AI-related fields integrate a family- and community-centered perspective into their work?
- What new competencies and foresight capabilities do professionals and organizations need to anticipate and shape AI’s effects on family life?
- How can families and their communities be engaged as co-creators of responsible AI systems?
Embedding AI and family well-being into organizational learning and accountability
- How can organizations design AI policies and practices that prioritize family well-being while balancing innovation and business objectives?
- What role should organizations play in fostering intergenerational responsibility and community resilience as part of their AI governance and safety strategies?
What participants will gain
Participants will leave this seminar with:
- A new lens for AI governance and strategy.
- Practical tools for professional reflection and foresight.
- Historical and cross-cultural insights and learning.
- Enhanced organizational capacity and potential strategies to embed family-centered thinking into governance, risk management, and accountability systems.
- A community of peers, connecting with leaders across sectors committed to aligning AI’s development with the stability, creativity, and flourishing of family and community life.
Dates
June 9 – 11, 2026
Tickets
Tuition: $ 1,850.00
Tickets include:
- 2 nights accommodations at St. John’s Resort, Plymouth, Michigan (6/9 and 6/10)
- Evening Reception (6/9)
- Breakfast and Lunch (6/10 and 6/11)
- Dinner (6/10)
Participation in this seminar is limited to 16 people, and registration opens January 20, 2026.
Are you a Capita Forward member? Early registration and discount codes are available for Capita Forward Members. Email us at [email protected] to receive your discount code.
Capita Seminars: Spaces for Reflection, Exploration, and Connection
Deep Exploration of Societal Transformations
Capita Seminars offer participants the chance to immerse themselves in a deep exploration of the key social, demographic, cultural, technological, environmental, and economic transformations shaping our societies.
From the role of care and belonging to questions of identity and the evolution of democracy, these generative spaces encourage thoughtful reflection and dialogue, inviting participants to connect history, the present, and imagined futures. By sparking fresh insights, they help illuminate complex social issues and open pathways to explore how to support family and community flourishing.
Diverse Perspectives and Collaborative Dialogue
Each seminar brings together individuals from diverse disciplines, ideologies, and backgrounds to explore the intersections of knowledge, social imagination, values, and aspirations for the future. Through meaningful dialogue and deep engagement, participants gain fresh perspectives and actionable insights they can integrate into their work.
By connecting historical and contemporary contexts, these seminars help equip participants to navigate today’s challenges and envision new possibilities for their organizations and communities.