Bio
Ethan Harrison Freedman is a Master of Social Work candidate at Columbia University’s School of Social Work with a concentration in Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship. His research sits at the intersection of human connection and intimacy, digital health, and AI ethics, with a focus on how technology shapes access, behavior, and wellbeing across diverse communities. At the Social Intervention Group, Ethan works across several research initiatives, including the gAyI project, where he develops AI driven benchmarks to evaluate large language model responses related to social work, human connection, human sexuality, and public health. His work supports safer, more accurate, and more inclusive applications of AI within behavioral research and intervention design.
Beyond SIG, Ethan is the Founder and CEO of Acquaint Education, a digital infrastructure initiative dedicated to advancing global understanding of human connection through interdisciplinary research, health education, and ethical innovation. His broader research examines digital human connection and intimacies, sex and health education, and the implications of emerging technologies for mental health and social policy.
Ethan holds a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Colgate University, where he conducted research on sexual technologies, digital intimacy, and the behavioral science of human connection. He aims to build a career at the nexus of research, policy, and ethical technology development to improve public health and the digital ecosystems in which people form human connections.