Introduction
In 2024, the Mensa Foundation partnered with researchers at the William & Mary Center for Gifted Education to better understand the real-world challenges facing gifted and high-ability people. The Study of Unmet Needs Among Highly Intelligent Individuals surveyed and interviewed 3,443 participants worldwide and revealed a striking truth: intelligence alone doesn’t guarantee access, opportunity, or belonging.
Participants reported unmet needs in four key areas: academic, career, social-emotional, and mental health. Many wanted mentorship and flexible, challenging learning experiences. Others sought better career guidance and supportive workplaces. Across ages and backgrounds, participants called for stronger social connections and trusted help managing anxiety, frustration, and self-doubt.
A quarter of respondents said their needs were high and largely unmet; half reported moderate challenges. The message was clear: gifted people need more pathways for connection, guidance, and growth.
The Mensa Foundation Board of Trustees took this information as a call to action and began devising a plan to tackle these challenges. A mentorship program was one of the first solutions proposed. However, quality mentorship is less accessible than it appears. It is financially daunting, and access is often limited by factors that inadvertently faze people out, including cultural differences and the intimidating nature of asking for help. As a result, many are left behind.
“Why not use AI?”
This led the Board to ask, “Why not use AI?” From that question came an exploration of how we might create a trusted system that is scalable and accessible, yet preserves the qualities that make mentorship meaningful.
Using AI can help mitigate these concerns. A retrieval-based mentor can expand access, reduce reliance on informal networks, and lower the barrier to asking for help, while human oversight preserves the quality and ethics of mentorship.
What’s Being Explored
The Foundation began developing the concept of an AI Mentor with a design that uses a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system rather than a chatbot that imitates conversation and relies on open-web content.
It would answer exclusively from a curated library of trusted, Mensa-approved resources and from the collective intelligence of the Mensa community. Its knowledge base would grow through contributions that reflect the lived experiences of gifted and neurodivergent people. This approach helps ensure accuracy, protects intellectual property, and establishes strong guardrails for tone, safety, and privacy.
Listening Before Acting
Before proceeding, the Foundation Board conducted a survey to learn whether the Mensa community supports the idea of an AI Mentor and, if so, where they would use it.
Nearly 800 Mensans and supporters responded, and three clear perspectives emerged:
- Supportive Core (~54%): Enthusiastic or optimistic; they see potential for an AI Mentor to fill gaps where human mentors are unavailable.
- Thoughtful Middle (~21%): Curious but cautious; they value evidence, safety, and transparency before engaging.
- Concerned Voices (~15–20%): Some view AI as at odds with Mensa’s human-centered identity, and others question whether it can replicate empathy or discernment.
Each viewpoint reflects a perspective of our community and underscores the importance of open dialogue, not persuasion.
The survey also echoed the findings of the Study of Unmet Needs, where participants most often cited the need for:
- Personal growth and self-awareness
- Career information and planning support
- Gifted- and neurodivergent-specific guidance
- Academic and educational support
- Social and emotional learning support
What Matters Most to Our Community
When asked what would make an AI-based tool credible, 73% said it must draw from the lived experiences of our community, not from generic web data. People want something that understands what it means to be gifted and neurodivergent — the intensity, nuance, and sometimes loneliness of that experience — rather than offering one-size-fits-all advice.
Open-ended comments converged around several shared priorities:
- Accessibility: Make mentorship and guidance available to those who currently lack it.
- Human Oversight: Use AI to extend, not replace, authentic human connection.
- Trust and Transparency: Be clear about data sources and decision processes.
- Ethics and Privacy: Model responsible AI consistent with Mensa’s reputation for integrity.
- Skepticism with Hope: Even doubters appreciated that the Foundation is asking hard questions publicly rather than pursuing technology in secret.
The AI Mentor conversation is not really about technology. It is about whether we can find new, scalable ways to meet enduring human needs — the same needs identified in the Study of Unmet Needs: mentorship, career guidance, social connection, and mental health support.
What Happens Next
This exploration remains in its earliest stage. The Foundation will:
- Deepen analysis of survey data to understand where enthusiasm and concern overlap.
- Seek expert input from specialists who provide support for gifted and neurodivergent people and develop AI.
- Refine the concept into clear design principles guided by community values.
- Share openly through updates, new findings, and discussion forums.
- Invite donors and partners to fund the next phase so we can build and test the AI Mentor.
A Closing Thought
Innovation begins with curiosity and the courage to ask, What if?
By exploring whether an AI Mentor could one day become part of the Foundation’s offerings, the Mensa community is demonstrating how intelligence, ethics, and imagination can come together in pursuit of a greater purpose.
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