Artificial intelligence (AI) has started to influence areas once dominated by human interaction, such as offering workplace advice and emotional support. Hy, described as a new venture ecosystem, believes this shift could emphasize the value of in-person human connections. The company is experimenting with AI to document and analyze conversations held face-to-face.
AI-Assisted Conversations
In Hy’s ‘forest walk’ experiments, participants walk and converse with a human listener while AI records and summarizes the dialogue. Weston Mossman, Hy’s product and experience lead, stated that the system can document conversations, preserve decisions, and help map collective knowledge, with people still guiding the meaning and direction of their work. Hy reports conducting 21 such experiments, allowing participants to retain ownership of their conversation transcripts.
Afterward, AI examines the conversations from multiple perspectives. Participants then interpret these observations to determine their impact on future discussions or decisions. Hy compiles these exchanges into a shared set of notes, which AI reviews for recurring or conflicting patterns, aiding the team in identifying areas needing further attention.
Launched in San Francisco’s Bay Area on September 19, the company collaborates with over 100 communities, including tech firms, financial institutions, and startup ecosystems. Hy plans a second launch in Lisbon, Portugal, in November, aiming to spread growth through local communities, as stated by founder and CEO Ariana Bahrami.
The Connection Gap
Hy describes itself as an ‘incubator for the life-centric economy,’ focusing on existing AI models to serve ‘love, life, and joy.’ This focus coincides with rising feelings of isolation. The American Psychological Association’s 2025 survey revealed 54% of U.S. adults felt isolated often or sometimes, with half lacking companionship while 69% required more emotional support than they received. Nonetheless, 92% indicated that relationships brought meaning to their lives.
Some individuals turn to AI for support. A November 2025 NAMI/Ipsos poll reported that 12% of U.S. adults considered using AI chatbots for mental health treatment within six months, with 1% already doing so. John Torous, a psychiatrist from Harvard Medical School, mentioned millions of Americans are weekly using AI tools not explicitly designed for mental health, finding some relief in them.
Simultaneously, more people are seeking offline gatherings. According to Strava’s 2025 Year in Sport report, new club creation quadrupled in 2025, resulting in one million clubs on their global platform. Running clubs specifically saw a 3.5 times increase, with club-organized events up by 1.5 times, suggesting a rise in interest in organized communities and activities. Hy aims to see how AI can support rather than replace these interactions.
Division of Labor
Hy employs a framework from researcher Dave Snowden to clarify labor division. AI is tasked with ‘salience’—organizing and highlighting information—while humans maintain ‘sapience,’ giving meaning, and ‘sentience,’ providing the emotional experiences that guide decisions. Mossman explained that this method has transformed Hy’s internal processes. A 90-minute meeting that used to take hours to document can now be quickly processed, leaving more room for discussion and relationship-building.
Hy is still working on metrics to measure the impact of its strategy. Loneliness existed before generative AI, and current data doesn’t confirm if AI worsens it. Yet, Hy believes that as AI increasingly handles routine tasks, there might be a rising demand for something technology can’t deliver: genuine human connection.
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