The funding will enable the establishment of a Digital Wellbeing Observatory, designed to place public experience at the centre of debates about technology, wellbeing, and the future of online life. 

Understanding the impact of emerging technologies 

Digital technologies are now woven into everyday life, yet there is limited evidence about how newer forms of AI affect wellbeing, not only for individuals, but for society, and over time. The Digital Wellbeing Observatory aims to address this gap by combining multi‑year national surveys with community‑based workshops and roadshows, engaging people in rural, industrial and urban communities across the country. 

This participatory approach will generate up‑to‑date and longitudinal insight into how the public experiences technologies such as generative AI, capturing risks and frustrations alongside the creative and practical ways people already manage their digital lives. 

Each year, findings will feed into an annual Digital Pulse report, translating lived experience into targeted recommendations for sectors including education, mental health, technology design and policy. 

A shared commitment to digital wellbeing 

Virgin Media O2 and LCFI share a commitment to strengthening digital wellbeing, empowering individuals, and promoting responsible innovation through collaboration between industry, academia and society. 

Lutz Schüler, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Media O2, said: 

"Digital technology has transformed the way we live, work and connect. But our research also shows that many people increasingly feel they are not fully in control of how they engage with it.

“As one of the UK's largest connectivity providers, we believe our responsibility goes beyond simply keeping people connected. Building trust in the digital world means helping people feel more informed, more confident, and more in control of their online lives.

“That's why Virgin Media O2 is investing in long-term research, partnerships and practical support to better understand how digital habits are changing, and how technology can work better for people and not just demand more of their attention."

The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, launched a decade ago by Professor Stephen Hawking, has played a leading role in public and policy debates on artificial intelligence, from representation and ethics to governance and public engagement. 

Dr Eleanor Drage, Senior Research Fellow at LCFI, commented: 

“VMO2’s generous philanthropic support enables us to undertake ambitious research on digital wellbeing, bringing public voices into conversation with policymakers, technologists and health experts. It will also support our team at Cambridge to develop new approaches, training and participatory AI‑literacy initiatives that help people understand and shape the technologies they rely on.”