Stanford University  ·  2026

Stanford Symposium on
AI and Psychological Science

May 20, 2026  ·  9:30 AM – 5:00 PM Simonyi Conference Center, CoDa Building
Register to Attend Learn More

About the Symposium

The Stanford Psychology department will be hosting a one-day symposium to explore the impact of AI on psychological science. The event will feature keynote talks by Emma Brunskill and Michael Bernstein, as well as themed sessions that will explore current and future impacts of AI on theory building, research methodology, and education/training in psychology. There will be ample opportunities for spirited discussion about all of these issues over coffee, lunch, and a reception following the main program.

Keynote Speakers

MB
Keynote
Michael Bernstein
Professor of Computer Science and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI
Stanford University
Michael Bernstein's research focuses on the design of social computing systems, crowd-powered AI, and the social dynamics that emerge when people interact through and alongside intelligent systems.
EB
Keynote
Emma Brunskill
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Stanford University
Emma Brunskill's research focuses on reinforcement learning and machine learning for sequential decision-making, with applications to personalized education and human learning.

Themed Sessions

1
Methodological Impacts
How will AI affect the way we conduct research in psychology?
Co-organized by Russ Poldrack and Robb Willer
2
Educational Impacts
How will AI change what the next generation of psychological scientists needs to learn?
Co-organized by Judy Fan and Jason Yeatman
3
Theoretical Impacts
How will AI affect the formulation of psychological theories?
Organized by Dan Yamins

Program

May 20, 2026

9:30 AM
Coffee & Registration
Simonyi Conference Center · CoDa Building, 389 Jane Stanford Way
10:00 AM
Opening Remarks
10:15 AM
Keynote Talk: Emma Brunskill
11:00 AM
Break
11:15 AM
Keynote Talk: Michael Bernstein
12:00 PM
Lunch
Provided on-site
1:00 PM
AI Hot Takes from the Psychology Community
Curated by Ben Prystawski, Khai Loong Aw, and Judy Fan
1:15 PM
Themed Session: Theoretical Impacts
Organized by Dan Yamins
2:15 PM
Break
2:30 PM
Themed Session: Educational Impacts
Co-organized by Judy Fan and Jason Yeatman
3:30 PM
Break
3:45 PM
Themed Session: Methodological Impacts
Co-organized by Russ Poldrack and Robb Willer
4:45 PM
Closing Remarks
5:00 PM
Reception

Organizers

Organized by

RP
Russ Poldrack
Albert Ray Lang Professor of Psychology and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Stanford University
JF
Judy Fan
Assistant Professor of Psychology and, by courtesy, of Education and of Computer Science
Stanford University
RW
Robb Willer
Professor of Sociology and, by courtesy, Psychology and Organizational Behavior
Stanford University
DY
Dan Yamins
Associate Professor of Psychology and of Computer Science
Stanford University
JY
Jason Yeatman
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics), of Education and of Psychology
Stanford University

Registration

Join us on May 20

While this symposium is open to all members of the Stanford community and other invited guests, advance registration is required to attend if not a current member of the Stanford Psychology community.

Register to Attend

Questions about the event? Contact Teresa Wagner at: [tcwagner@stanford.edu]