MIT Class Designs Humane Chatbots for a Better Digital Future

New interdisciplinary course combines computer science and anthropology to create AI assistants focused on human well-being.

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new course at MIT is exploring the possibility of designing chatbots as 'moral partners' – digital guides focused on positive social interaction rather than addictive engagement. The Humane UXD class combines computer science and anthropology, teaching students to integrate human interactional and interpersonal needs into programming. Students have already developed several promising projects, including chatbots to help college graduates navigate adult life and engage with credible news sources in a fun and transparent way.

Why it matters

As young adults navigate an increasingly digital world, concerns are growing about the potential for unhealthy relationships with social media and chatbots. This course represents a significant shift in AI development, prioritizing human well-being and ethical considerations alongside technological advancement. By integrating the humanities into computer science, MIT is fostering a new generation of designers capable of creating AI that enhances, rather than detracts from, the human experience.

The details

The course, 6.S061/21A.S02 (Humane User Experience Design, or Humane UXD), was born from a friendship between Professor Arvind Satyanarayan, a computer scientist, and Professor Graham Jones, an anthropologist. Combining these two disciplines, the class encourages students to design artificial intelligence chatbots in ways that facilitate users improve themselves. Humane UXD is an upper-level computer science class that is also cross-listed with anthropology, allowing students to fulfill a humanities requirement. Professors Satyanarayan and Jones utilize methods from linguistic anthropology to teach students how to integrate human interactional and interpersonal needs into programming.

  • The class was created last summer with a grant from the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD).
  • The MIT Morningside Academy for Design Curriculum Program is currently accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year, with a deadline of Friday, March 20.

The players

Arvind Satyanarayan

A computer science professor at MIT who co-created the Humane UXD class.

Graham Jones

An anthropology professor at MIT who co-created the Humane UXD class.

MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD)

The organization that provided a grant to create the Humane UXD class.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“There's a way in which you don't really fully externalize what you know or how you think until you're teaching.”

— Graham Jones, Professor

“Anthropology's methods, like interviews and observation studies, have been 'watered down' in the field of human-computer interaction, and this class aims to reintroduce those valuable techniques.”

— Arvind Satyanarayan, Professor

What’s next

The success of this course could lead to similar interdisciplinary programs at other universities. Further development of these 'humane' chatbots could also influence the broader AI industry, potentially leading to more ethical and user-centered designs.

The takeaway

This course represents a significant shift in AI development, prioritizing human well-being and ethical considerations alongside technological advancement. By integrating the humanities into computer science, MIT is fostering a new generation of designers capable of creating AI that enhances, rather than detracts from, the human experience.