This summer, we welcomed Cohort One of AI Residency (AIR) , a design-led incubator for ambitious, culturally grounded application-layer AI. From more than 220 applicants, we selected ten* teams building across creativity, care, civic tech, and cultural discovery.Each brings a distinct point of view and a shared belief that AI can be more than a productivity tool. It can shape new rituals, unlock expression, and connect people in meaningful ways.Interested in joining a future cohort? Apply and we’ll be in touch when applications open.Fuser is a unified creative environment for professionals working with generative AI across text, image, video, audio, and 3D—all in one remixable canvas. Built by longtime collaborators Dalena and Hirad, whose work spans art, engineering, and education, Fuser is designed for discovery, iteration, and creative flow. Currently in private alpha. Join the waitlist or share your use case in their Discord for early access.Pillowtalk is a voice-first mental wellness app that turns late-night thoughts into emotional insights. Combining conversational AI with psychology-backed frameworks, Belen and Cherri have created a safe, playful space for reflection and emotional understanding. Try Pillowtalk.8LAB is building 8PASS, the global creative passport: a playlist-powered platform for discovering real-world experiences, where AI, curation, and culture collide. Inspired by the scenes and cities they’ve shaped, they’re reimagining discovery guided by taste, not algorithms. Sign up for their waitlist.Geni is a screen-free, AI-powered storytelling toy that lets kids create endless audio adventures using physical tiles. With backgrounds in design, engineering, and education from MIT and Harvard, the team is reimagining play as hands-on, child-led, and endlessly inventive. Sign up for updates, or if you’re in New York with children ages 4–8, sign up to join a playtest.SOOT is a “a new species of filesystem” for visual information. Inspired by natural eco