What We’re Thinking About Community and Its Nine Lives
The future of community will be built using AI to drive connections, rather than replace them.
Here we’re sharing with you with the conversations happening across team Maveron — including what’s now & what’s next, perspectives beyond the boardroom, and the long view on consumer shifts we believe will stick around for the years ahead.
We’ve all heard from AI enthusiasts about the mind-boggling future that’s to come, where AI replaces nearly every facet. We’re consumed by the narrative that AI is slipping into our workforce and our human interactions. But what gets too often left out of conversations are the moments in life that AI can aid, but never actually replace. At Maveron, we see the resilience in community, even in an AI-native world.
AI companions and mental health tools are just one example of AI’s displacement abilities. They absolutely have their time and place and can be beneficial, as researchers at Dartmouth found this past March. That said, no matter how sophisticated and human-like the tech is, AI can’t replace the craving that consumers have for real community. A bot can’t replace a new friend, the warmth of an IRL interaction or the sense of belonging to something bigger than oneself.
Community is like a cat with nine lives that AI couldn’t replace if it tried. There’s really only one thing you have to believe to find conviction in an investment here: the future of community will be built using AI to drive connections, rather than replace them. Think of AI as the scaffolding beneath human-centric interactions, curating, scaling and enriching experiences, rather than replacing people in the room.
How this reinforcement plays out depends on which part of the consumer “community stack” you’re looking at. Dating, fandom, friendship, family – each have their own nuances and frictions, as well as their own opportunities.
Here are some lanes I’m currently considering:
Dating: AI to discover.
There’s no doubt the dating industry is struggling. App satisfaction has sunk and more consumers are cancelling their paid subscriptions, pushing big players like Bumble and Match Group to reinvent themselves. The New York Times just profiled how the big players (and some startups) are leveraging AI in an effort to better delight and serve their customers. We know a growing number of consumers are frustrated by dating apps today, so can AI can help deliver a more personalized experience that drives towards connection versus swipes?
Examples: Known, Sitch, Grid, Amori, Tea
Subculture: AI to evangelize.
Evangelizing used to be one-to-many – an artist to her fans, an author to her readers, a TV writer to his viewers. We’re already seeing subcultures, or fandoms, move from one-to-many to many-to-many, with the boundaries between fans and creators blurring (see Reality Von Tease or Club Chalamet for two of my favorite examples). But most of these theories, relationships and connections don’t have a centralized place to exist outside of major conventions like BravoCon or ComicCon. 47% of Gen-Z in one survey said that they are a part of fandom online that no one in their real life is part of. Inside jokes, art, fancams and more all live on separate platforms. If AI can centralize evangelization, allowing more subcultures to connect IRL rather than in TikTok comments or Twitter replies, we may just see an unprecedented surge of creativity and community.
Examples: Lore, Beli
Friendship: AI to connect.
Shared experiences are a pillar of maintaining friendships. Can AI play a role in creating those connections that strengthen our bonds with one another? Imagine an online dog community, for example, that uses OpenAI to create images of them and their dogs in the Studio Ghibli-style and they all share their creations with one another. Or, imagine an AI platform that curates groups and experiences across activities, meals and trips, all based on individual preferences. These shared experiences, powered by AI, create a sense of togetherness.
Examples: Goodword, Time Left, Build IRL, 222 place
Family: AI to be present.
Being present is really about attention, not proximity. Today’s families juggle scattered schedules, long distances, and fewer nearby relatives. AI can help by absorbing the invisible load of logistics, reminders, and planning — support that once required hiring extra hands. It can also help families stay connected across miles and generations, carrying forward stories, traditions, and the small gestures that keep people rooted in one another. With over half of U.S. grandchildren living more than 10 miles from a grandparent, there’s real distance to bridge — and real potential for AI to help close the gap.
Examples: Ohai, Kinnect
AI won’t change the importance of community, but it will change the form community takes. The most interesting community-oriented companies of the next generation won’t try to replace relationships with a digital stand-in, but will use AI to make the process of connecting more seamless, more intentional and more human.
Consumers don’t just want utility, they want belonging. If you’re building in this space, or even just thinking about how AI can reinforce community, rather than replace it, I’d love to hear from you. Community has nine lives, and I think this next one could be its most exciting yet.
On Following Its North Star
“[Launching Bend,] we set our sights on one of the largest and most underserved areas of chronic health conditions, and one of the most complex challenges in healthcare: pediatric mental health… Being acquired by Lyra means we can now scale that model and reach more families than ever. We will do that without losing what makes this work: evidence, outcomes, and empathy.”
– Kurt Roots, Bend Health CEO and CoFounder, on growth after being acquired by Lyra.
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