Towards one billion happy people

Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer, Google [x], Serial Entrepreneur, Board Member and Investor posed a new challenge during his keynote speech at the 2018 Credit Suisse Global Megatrends conference that ties in with his #onebillionhappy movement.

He said that artificial intelligence (AI) is on the ascendant, and predicted that machines could be born into a world where social networks reflect overwhelming depression, violence, and unhappiness. AIs could emulate the negative aspects of social media, or even decide to get rid of humans altogether, he warned.

Source: Credit Suisse. Gawdat.

"With great power comes great responsibility," he said. "Control is an illusion. We try to exert control where there is no control, especially when you try to control a species that is much more powerful than you are."

Gawdat suggested that everyone takes charge of being happier, especially on social media. "It's time for us as the crowd to stand out to say 'hey I want to be happier,'" he said.

Another aspect of happiness is creating economic prosperity, a goal which robotics may destroy. A totally automated manufacturing future causes problems, he explained. "If everything's going to be made by robots, who is going to buy (what they make)?" he asked. "We have to economically prosper for that whole dream (of economic prosperity) to exist."

His goal is to see 1 billion people happy in five years. "Live responsibly and make a world a better place," he advised.

Explore:

How to be happier

Hashtags: #onebillionhappy, #CSMegatrends