Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, now Chief AI Officer at Flight Story and bestselling author, joined Lester Kiewit for a conversation on happiness, work, and the future of technology. Reflecting on his own journey, Gawdat said, “I am the happiest I have ever been… Happiness is a calm and peaceful state of contentment when you’re OK with life as it is.” He explained his well-known formula for happiness, “Happiness is equal to or greater than the difference between the events of your life and your expectations of how life should be.”

On the link between happiness and work, Gawdat was clear that no job can guarantee fulfilment. “Nothing has an inherent value of happiness within it. Sadly, most of us are convinced our job is the purpose of our life. That’s a very capitalist promise.” He added that moments of stillness are essential, saying, “When you step away from the manic pace of the world, even for a few hours, clarity sets in.” The conversation also turned to artificial intelligence and its role in shaping the future of work. Gawdat believes automation could bring about abundance. “AI can make everything almost free. The question is will humanity use this to take care of everyone, or continue to deny people a decent life if they are not productive?”

When it comes to dealing with life’s difficulties, he draws a distinction between pain and suffering. “Pain is inevitable, but suffering doesn’t need to be generated by us. Happiness is not our privilege or right. Happiness is our duty because when you’re happy, you make a positive difference to the world around you.” Surprisingly, Gawdat also sees a role for AI in helping people form deeper connections. “One of my projects is a love coach AI that helps you know yourself better and find genuine connections. If our intention is real love, technology can even help us there.”

As the conversation closed, Gawdat returned to his central theme. “Humanity’s duty is to find that calm and peaceful contentment I call happiness, and to spread it around to those they love.”

Cape Town will soon host the Mind Matters Summit Step Into Your Focus and Flow taking place on Wednesday, 4 September at the CTICC. This one-day summit brings together 1,500 corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, health experts and wellness enthusiasts to explore the latest thinking on performance, resilience and wellbeing. The programme features international thought leaders, neuroscientists and elite athletes, all focused on helping us harness the mind as our most powerful tool for success. The day runs from 9am to 4:30pm followed by a networking cocktail event from 5 to 7pm. Registration opens at 8:15am. For more information and tickets, visit mindmatters-summit.com.

Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show.

This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily.

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