{"id":30021,"date":"2026-10-15T14:31:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T18:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=30021"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:43:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T18:43:19","slug":"apa-chief-urges-pursuit-of-human-layer-with-ai","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/15\/apa-chief-urges-pursuit-of-human-layer-with-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"APA chief urges pursuit of \u2018human\u2019 layer with AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Arthur C. Evans Jr., CEO of the American Psychological Association, last week returned to the APA\u2019s birthplace to offer a frank assessment of how his organization can play a vital role in addressing pressing issues, particularly in the area of youth mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following introductory remarks by psychotherapist Aleesha Young, Evans took the stage in Razzo Hall to deliver the keynote address sponsored by the Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise<\/a>. He acknowledged doing so on the same campus where The American Psychological Association was founded in 1892 by Clark\u2019s first president, G. Stanley Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his talk, Evans noted that the APA should have been more assertive in calling out the effects on young people of social media and other technologies. \u201cOur training values cautious evaluation, fostering overreliance on precision,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should have moved on it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychologists generally are risk-averse, he said, but they should be willing to speak \u201cbeyond the data\u201d on pressing issues. Being unwilling to do so prevents others from regarding psychology as a relevant voice during times of distress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the field of psychology is hamstrung by the fact that there are no systematic or sustainable mechanisms \u201cto move the field from insight to impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI technologies present an intriguing challenge, Evans said. Psychology fills in the missing \u201chuman\u201d layer when it comes to AI \u2014 such things as behavior, cognition, development, trust, attention, and well-being. Through its center for behavioral science, the APA is making recommendations to the tech industry on actionable items for more purposeful, productive, and sustainable human-AI interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychologists are looking at a host of issues, like how young people may be using AI to seek emotional validation, navigate social relationships, or even whether they view AI as an omniscient presence in their lives. \u201cWe\u2019re advocating for access to independent science\u201d to get at the heart of these issues, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAI is altering how our youth grow and connect,\u201d Evans said. \u201cThe window to safeguard this development is narrow. We must get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event concluded with Mosakowski Institute Director Nadia Ward moderating a discussion with Evans and Patrick Tutwiler, CEO of Walker Therapeutic and Education Programs and former Massachusetts Secretary of Education. The discussion covered a wide range of subjects, including implications for education, public policy, mental health practice, and young people\u2019s well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSolutions aren\u2019t simple; we need to think through them,\u201d Tutwiler said. \u201cPeople now understand the centrality of behavioral and mental health in education, which is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evans agreed large-scale changes aren\u2019t possible without a shared understanding of issues and goals, but ultimately the aim of any intervention is to improve academic performance. He noted that an organization like the APA \u201ccan\u2019t sit on the sidelines\u201d and needs to position itself as an entity willing to take decisive action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tutwiler said that educators need to consider what model they want for AI use in the curriculum. \u201cHow does AI help us reach goals? Does it strengthen relationships and help those who need the most help? Can humans still employ judgment and accountability?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of his visit to Clark, Evans visited a psychology classroom (top) and toured Southbridge High School, where the Mosakowski Institute has partnered with the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts to develop and implement a robust school-based mental health program.\u00a0SouthbridgeCARES<\/a>\u00a0leverages state-of-the-art tech-enabled products and services to address students\u2019 academic, social-emotional, and college\/career needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arthur C. Evans Jr., CEO of the American Psychological Association, last week returned to the APA\u2019s birthplace to offer a frank assessment of how his organization can play a vital role in addressing pressing issues, particularly in the area of youth mental health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30038,"template":"","meta":{"story_color":"var(--clarku-color-dark-teal)","story_headerImg":30038,"section_label":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[245],"displayed_author":[498],"featured":[494],"topic":[550,551,333,534,177],"class_list":["post-30021","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-sciences","displayed_author-clark-news-staff","featured-secondary","topic-ai","topic-artificial-intelligence","topic-lectures-and-conferences","topic-mosakowski-institute-for-public-enterprise","topic-psychology"],"yoast_head":"\nAPA chief urges pursuit of \u2018human\u2019 layer with AI | ClarkU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/15\/apa-chief-urges-pursuit-of-human-layer-with-ai\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"APA chief urges pursuit of \u2018human\u2019 layer with AI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Arthur C. 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