Wayfinder’s annual event, “The Conversation,” explored the topic of why human services still matter in the age of AI. Why was this the right topic for this year?
Artificial intelligence is everywhere in the public conversation right now, and for good reason. It is changing how we work, how we communicate and how we think about delivering services. But at Wayfinder, our work has always been grounded in human connection. We felt it was important to step back and ask: as this technology evolves rapidly, what is the role of the people behind the services? What can a machine do, and what can it never replace?
The panel brought together an AI expert, a leading AI researcher and Wayfinder’s own chief operating officer. What were the key takeaways for you?
What struck me most was the consistency of the message, even though our moderator and panelists come from very different worlds.
Pete Kinser has spent his career helping organizations navigate the intersection of technology and human systems. His background in human-centered design and organizational strategy meant he could ask exactly the right questions, pushing our panelists past the headlines and into the nuances that really matter for communities like ours. Dr. Maja Matarić has spent more than 25 years at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence and human well-being at USC. Dr. Dawn Vo-Jutabha leads our programs and sees firsthand every day what it takes to truly support the people we serve. And yet they arrived at the same place: technology is most powerful when it amplifies human connection, not when it tries to substitute for it.
Dr. Matarić shared findings from a clinical trial on AI-delivered therapy that really gave the audience pause. People who received AI-guided cognitive behavioral therapy felt better in the moment, but did not show long-term improvement. That is a meaningful distinction, and it speaks directly to why the human relationship at the heart of our work matters so much.
Dr. Vo-Jutabha grounded the conversation in the reality of our programs. She described a Wayfinder instructor who, sensing that a visually impaired student was too nervous to voice her concerns about using the stove, instinctively shifted to a hands-on teaching method without being asked. That kind of intuition cannot be programmed. It comes from experience, from empathy and from the kind of trust our staff build with the people they serve every day.
I left the event more convinced than ever that Wayfinder’s approach is exactly right: we thoughtfully use technology to enhance our deeply human work. I am incredibly grateful for such a rich and timely discussion.
May 11, 2026