Our Welcome Message: We’re Rethinking AI in an Unregulated Age

You’ve discovered The CyberPsych Institute (CPI).

We invite individuals and organizations who, like us, recognize artificial intelligence and digital technologies are advancing at unprecedented speed — with limited governance and oversight. Often, the basis for this limited oversight is based on the belief that innovation must move faster than regulation in order to succeed.

At CPI, we believe innovation and thoughtful governance can advance TOGETHER, creating technologies that are both groundbreaking and trusted.

We reject the notion that ethics stands in the way of innovation.

Nearly every major industry — from aviation to automobiles, to pharmaceuticals, to children’s products — operates within regulatory frameworks designed to uphold safety and ethical standards, while still achieving significant innovation and growth.

As we see it, ethics, trust, regulation, and innovation are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, history shows they thrive when developed through ongoing iteration and collaboration.

The most successful technologies have advanced not only through ingenuity, but also through the accountability that strengthens their impact and longevity.

When it comes to AI, many industry leaders have expressed concerns that regulation — and the ethical best practices that often accompany it — are ‘too burdensome’ and risk slowing innovation.

Adding to this perception is the belief, voiced in both political and industry circles, that regulation could hinder the United States in its global AI competition, particularly with China.

With today’s rapid industrial momentum and heightened geopolitical competition, the question arises:

Can ethical and humane AI development truly thrive?

We believe it can.

But current conditions present some challenges.

The Trump Administration’s AI policy takes a ‘try-first’ approach places less emphasis on federal and state regulation, which may increase — rather than prevent or reduce — the risk of public exposure to bias, misinformation, and safety gaps, even as the White House seeks to minimize what it views as hyper-partisan outcomes.

CPI sees this as an opportunity to work alongside policymakers and innovators to ensure that accelerated deployment is matched with safeguards that build trust and resilience.

In short, when innovation outpaces responsible development, opportunities for thorough risk assessment and oversight can be missed.

Thus, moving beyond a ‘wait and see’ approach creates opportunities for more deliberate and informed decision-making.

The critical question is whether waiting will be too late.

If the history of social media regulation in the U.S. is any guide — a technology widely used since the 2010s yet still largely unregulated—AI regulation, especially under pro-innovation policies with limited ethical guardrails, may face similar challenges in achieving meaningful oversight..

Part of the rationale behind this innovation-first, low-regulation approach stems from how the technology is framed.

Some proponents argue that technology ethicists overstate the risks, describing AI as ‘just another tool,’ comparable to past technologies like the calculator or personal computer. This framing, however, can overlook AI’s unique capacity to learn, adapt, and influence human decision-making at tremendous scale.

To a point, CPI agrees:

Technologies are socio-economic disruptors, and AI is no exception.

Yet AI isn’t merely “just another tool.”

It exceeds the bounds of traditional computational technologies because it is increasingly autonomous, requiring minimal — if any — human intervention, input, or control.

Moreover, the increasing gap between computational systems, which depend on human input or pre-programmed instructions, and autonomous systems, which can perform tasks in dynamic, unstructured environments without constant oversight, is not only vast — it’s arguably galactic.

Equally vast is the daunting distance between “computation” and “cognition.”

These distinctions matter because we’re no longer simply programming tools to serve tasks — we are shaping systems that perceive, learn, adapt, and, in some cases, act with a degree of independence that blurs the traditional boundaries between machine and mind.

One final point for consideration: No one has ever referred to calculators, X-ray machines, radios or personal computers as ‘technological beings’ before.

Yet today, the term ‘beings’ is not merely metaphorical; it appears in the design language of roboticists and AI developers creating fleets of humanoids and social bots intended to engage with us as peers and, in some cases, even as romantic partners.

Further reinforcing this shift is the emerging industrial lexicon that describes AI in workforce terms, referring to ‘AI workforces’ and ‘AI employees.”

At CPI, we foster these important ideas, facilitate meaningful conversations, and present cyberpsychologically sound options for human-first consideration.

We have launched to serve as an informed, community-facing educational hub — where research and advocacy empower individuals with practical knowledge and in-demand skills for navigating this exciting yet disruptive AI era we are all entering, ready or not.

Our focus is on expanding AI literacy, strengthening ethical foundations, and preparing the workforce for the transformations ahead.

As part of our mission, we monitor and evaluate emerging technologies — including AI-enabled robotics and neurotechnologies — through a human-centered, cyberpsychological lens.

If you’re here to learn, connect, or help shape an innovative, human-centered future, we welcome you.

You are NOT alone and you’re in the right place.

Join us in advancing ethical, human-centered technology in an era where innovation and psychological safety can work hand in hand.

Here’s how you can support our mission:

• Connect or volunteer with our outreach and research programs
• Donate to help fund our public education and advocacy efforts
• Stay Informed by joining our mailing list or following our monthly updates

There’s no time to waste and there’s plenty of work ahead!

We’re just getting started here at CPI and look forward to partnering with you to develop AI and neurotechnologies that better balance ingenuity and innovation with human values.

Thank you for joining us — we’re excited to collaborate.

Now let’s get to work!

Mayra Ruiz-McPherson, PhD(c), MA, MFA
Executive Director & Founder
The CyberPsych Institute (CPI)

Empowering Minds for the AI Age