MIT professor Deb Roy has spent decades studying how humans communicate, from family interactions to global social media. In this timely talk, he reveals a breakthrough approach to repairing our fractured public sphere: small, intentional “circles of trust” that use community-led dialogue and carefully designed AI tools to amplify real listening rather than outrage. Roy shows how Cortico, the platform his team has developed, is already reshaping schools, cities, newsrooms, and national projects, and invites all of us to join in building a healthier conversation ecosystem.
