Dr. Kevin Esterling’s research explores the intersection of public policy, technology, and democratic governance, with a focus on how digital tools can strengthen civic engagement, public deliberation, and evidence-based policymaking. His work examines how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can improve communication between researchers, policymakers, and the public. Dr. Esterling’s research has been published in leading journals, including Nature and the Journal of Causal Inference.

As director of the TeCD-Lab, Dr. Esterling leads the development of Prytaneum, an innovative online communication platform designed to transform webinars into more interactive and meaningful public discussions. The platform uses artificial intelligence to help participants engage more effectively with one another, encouraging informed dialogue on policy issues. He also serves as co-principal investigator on a $4 million U.S. Department of Education grant supporting the creation of the CORE Incubator, which has a focus on providing training in communication, mediation, and leadership for young adults, as well as conducting advanced research on methods and tools for computational deliberation. In recognition of his leadership in this field, Dr. Esterling was invited to deliver the closing keynote address at the 2026 UC Open Summit, where he discussed the effects of open-AI on democratic discourse.