Lead Through the Moment

Becoming yourself has always been psychology's territory—we understand identity formation, the developmental tasks of adolescence, and how young people try on selves and consolidate who they are. But the entire infrastructure of that process has shifted. Previous generations experimented privately, failed quietly, and had do-overs. This generation performs every version of self publicly, permanently, algorithmically amplified, and sometimes to AI audiences. Psychology is leading through this unprecedented shift—not judging or panicking but working in real time alongside families to understand what's actually happening and what we can do about it.

Adulthood is genuinely, structurally hard right now. The relentless cognitive load of caregiving, work that never stops transforming, financial pressure, and relationships strained by impossible logistics—this isn't a personal failing; it’s the predictable result of how we've organized modern life. And these pressures aren't evenly distributed: race, class, caregiving burden, and access to resources all determine who bears the heaviest load. In this session, psychologists offer a genuine understanding of what chronic overwhelm does to people and practical frameworks for navigating impossible conditions without losing yourself in the process.

The science of human behavior has much to say about AI—but what do the people building AI have to say about psychology? In this CEO Spotlight session, APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, turns the conversation around, bringing together senior leaders from Antrhopic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI for a candid fireside chat that puts psychology's most pressing questions directly to the executives shaping today's AI landscape. Beyond exploring what psychological science can offer the AI era, this session asks industry leaders to consider what it truly means to build technology that benefits society - and why that responsibility matters now. It's a rare, unscripted exchange between two increasingly intertwined fields and an opportunity to hear how the people at AI’s frontier think about trust, safety, and the science of people.

People often assume aging brings compounding challenges—cognitive changes, physical decline, social isolation, loss of purpose, and anxiety about the end of life. Yet here's the paradox: research consistently shows that adults aged 65 and older report greater emotional well-being, clearer priorities, and deeper satisfaction than younger people. The brain doesn't only decline; it reorganizes. People don't lose all abilities; they refine. This session confronts the complexities and diversity of aging, exploring what it means to "age well," the barriers that make the aging experience more difficult for some, and what psychology knows about helping people navigate these decades of life while promoting dignity and well-being.