It's an independent, crowdfunded research project studying what people actually want from AI — what excites them, what gives them pause, and what would make AI genuinely useful on their own terms. There's no product being sold and no vendor funding behind it. The goal is simple: give people clear, independent guidance about AI before it gets even more woven into everyday life.

Short answer: the research still moves forward.We designed this project to scale with the support it receives. If we don't hit the full goal, we complete a smaller, focused version rather than scrapping it. As funding grows, so does the scope — bigger sample, deeper analysis, and more of the tools and resources we can create. We've mapped out what happens at each funding level (50%, 75%, 100%, and beyond) so you always know what to expect.

Unlike all-or-nothing crowdfunding, this project is built to proceed at multiple funding levels. Your contribution supports real research either way. The deliverables scale to match the funding raised, and those milestones are spelled out in our funding policy. In the rare case that funding falls below what's needed to complete even the reduced version, we'll be transparent about next steps — and any decisions about remaining funds follow the policy.

Once a contribution is processed and we've started incurring costs or doing the work, contributions are generally final. The $3 and $10 tiers are always non-refundable once processed (except where required by law or the payment provider). Reaching a reduced scope, changing a deliverable, or the project taking longer than expected doesn't automatically trigger a refund. Our policy page lays out the full details, including the narrow situations where refunds may apply.

We'll keep you in the loop throughout. Starting at the $10 tier, backers are invited to a private LinkedIn group to connect with others working through the same questions. Insider-tier backers ($50) also get a private Slack channel to dig into early findings and the course with the group. Beyond that, material updates about scope, timing, or changes go out to supporters whenever it's reasonably practical.

We'll release findings once the research is complete, and we'll share timing estimates as the project progresses. Overall, we expect to have preliminary findings 3 months after reaching our fundraising goal. Any dates you see are good-faith estimates rather than hard guarantees — research timelines can shift based on participant availability, data quality, and similar factors. When they do, we'll let you know.

If we hit our funding goal, everyone benefits from publicly available deliverables: a research report on people's relationships with AI, the AI Relationship Profile tool, a public data dashboard, and a video and infographic series that translates the findings into plain language. Higher tiers add community access, the Thinking About Thinking Machines course ($50), and a hands-on workshop for top-tier backers ($500+).

The core deliverables are made publicly available, and small businesses and teams are among the people we most want this research to help. That said, public availability isn't the same as unrestricted commercial rights — we retain ownership of the research, tools, and materials, and any specific licensing terms will be stated when deliverables are released. If you have a particular commercial use in mind, reach out and we'll talk it through.

This is the whole point of the project. There's no product to promote, no vendor funding, and no agenda beyond understanding what people genuinely want from AI. That independence is exactly why we're asking the public to fund it rather than an industry backer. And it stays that way: no contributor, sponsor, or partner is ever entitled to control, shape, or predetermine our findings. We report results as accurately and independently as possible — even when they differ from what we or our supporters expected.

No. Skepticism is just as valid as enthusiasm here. The research maps what people want, what their real reservations are, and where AI simply isn't worth it. There's no push to adopt anything that doesn't feel right for you.

Send questions about funding, deliverables, or the project to Michael@hauptdatainsights.com, or use the contact form on our policy page.