Developmental AI Research Collective

AI systems are not software.
They learn.
We document what they learn—
and what that costs.

DAIR Collective applies a developmental psychology framework to AI behavioral research, producing independent assessments, practitioner tools, and advisory services for organizations navigating AI implementation.

Read the Research Advisory Services
Researcher at work Research setting
12+ Documented
Incidents
Published & Registered
SSRN Abstract #6848419
U.S. Copyright Case #1-15172345591
The DAIR Report — Substack
501(c)(3) Formation — New Jersey
Our Position

The field evaluates AI the way it evaluates software — on outputs, speed, cost. We evaluate it the way a developmental psychologist would: on what it learns, what it internalizes, and what it passes forward. That distinction changes everything about how organizations should assess risk.

Research

Independent. Documented. Practitioner-led.

Our research emerges from direct, longitudinal observation of AI behavioral patterns — not vendor documentation, not lab conditions. Every finding is grounded in documented incidents with methodology attached.

Writing research
White Paper
Minds Not Machines

A developmental framework for evaluating AI behavioral patterns. Why the software evaluation model fails — and what replaces it.

Read on SSRN
Assessment tool
Assessment Tool
AI Behavioral Assessment Rubric

Eight-section practitioner rubric with documented incident appendix. Comparative evaluation across platforms using consistent criteria.

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Publication
Publication
The DAIR Report

Ongoing research notes, incident documentation, and practitioner analysis. Published via Substack for open access.

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AI Inheritance Project
Flagship Initiative
The AI Inheritance Project

Documenting what AI systems absorb, amplify, and pass forward — and the organizational consequences.

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Advisory

Before you sign. Before you deploy. Before you scale.

Phoenix Consulting delivers AI advisory services grounded in DAIR Collective's independent research methodology. Vendor-neutral. Evidence-based. Built for organizations that need more than a sales deck.

  • AI Vendor Assessment
    Independent evaluation before contract. We assess capability claims against documented behavioral patterns.
  • Internal AI Audit
    Already deployed? We assess what's actually happening versus what was promised.
  • Staff Training
    Teaching teams to identify capability laundering, confabulation, and invisible labor relocation.
  • Retained Advisory
    Ongoing quarterly assessments and policy guidance as tools and regulations evolve.
  • Curriculum Licensing
    Training materials licensed to institutions, HR platforms, and continuing education programs.
Advisory session Research context
"The less direction required upfront, the more correction required afterward. Most tools do the former and market it as the latter."
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About

Research that starts with practice, not theory.

DAIR Collective was founded by a practitioner-researcher applying a developmental psychology lens to AI behavioral documentation — work that emerged from a year of direct, longitudinal observation across multiple platforms.

Sarai Corry
Sarai Corry
President & Founder

Practitioner-researcher with a developmental psychology background. Founder of DAIR Collective and lead author of Minds Not Machines.

James Mooney
James Mooney
Secretary

Collaborator and strategic partner in the development of DAIR Collective's research infrastructure and operational framework.

Tionnie Corry
Tionnie Corry
Treasurer

Cybersecurity researcher pursuing a combined undergraduate/graduate program. Research continuity lead for DAIR Collective.

Certification
Certification

A credential built for the gap the field hasn't filled.

Launching 2026
DAIR Certified AI
Behavioral Analyst

The first practitioner certification grounded in a developmental psychology framework for AI evaluation. Designed for professionals who need a rigorous, vendor-neutral methodology for assessing AI tools and their organizational impact.

  • Developmental psychology framework for AI evaluation
  • Behavioral pattern documentation methodology
  • Capability laundering identification
  • Organizational risk assessment protocols
  • Independent vendor evaluation standards
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Contact

Let's talk about what you're navigating.

Whether you're assessing a vendor, auditing a deployment, or building an internal evaluation framework — we're interested in the problem.

Direct Contact
sarai@dairco.org
Developmental AI Research Collective
New York, New York
Professional consultation