Yunjie Yao

Yunjie holds a Master’s degree where she focused on artificial intelligence applications in consumer products. She worked with Kimiko Ryokai to build consumer hardware and playful interfaces that explore new forms of human expression, and with Coye Cheshire, whose research in social psychology and AI-informed systems shaped her perspective on trust, relationships, and digital behavior. She was also influenced by the work of Turing Award–winning computer scientist David Patterson, a pioneer in modern computer architecture.

Yunjie’s current work explores how AI can move beyond productivity tools to become an infrastructure for relationships, enabling deeper, more intentional ways for people to connect, grow, and experience life together.