What is Happiness According to AI?

AI is taking over the world, or is it now? Recently (since November 2020), we have experienced a huge international growth of AI products. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is whether AI will be able to replace you at your job? 

In a sense, it is already happening in some industries and it is very likely to happen in many other industries sooner rather than later (I discussed this topic in my blog post Fear of Automation in more detail).

Naturally, I, too, asked myself whether and how AI could eventually learn what happiness really is, making this blog obsolete. To answer this question, I asked AI “What is Happiness?” 

I asked this question to several AIs such as OpenAI, Chat GPT, and Bard (a new AI created by Google). The results, so far, aren’t very impressive, but consistent. Here is the answer provided by Bard, which is more or less representative of what all AI tools are also saying:.

Happiness AI

AI Answers “What is Happiness?”

Happiness is a complex emotion that has been studied by philosophers and psychologists for centuries. There is no one definition of happiness that everyone agrees on, but it is generally understood to be a state of well-being that is characterized by positive emotions such as joy, contentment, and satisfaction. Happiness can be fleeting or long-lasting, and it can be experienced in different ways by different people.

Some people believe that happiness is a goal that can be achieved through certain behaviors or activities, such as spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or helping others. Others believe that happiness is more of a state of mind that is influenced by factors such as genetics, personality, and life circumstances.

There is no right or wrong answer to the question of what happiness is. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to define what happiness means to them and to find ways to cultivate it in their own lives.

Here are some things that may contribute to happiness:

  • Positive relationships: Having strong, supportive relationships with family and friends is one of the most important factors in happiness.
  • Meaning and purpose: Having a sense of meaning and purpose in life can help people feel more fulfilled and satisfied.
  • Positive emotions: Experiencing positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and love can boost happiness levels.
  • Engaging in activities that you enjoy: Doing things that you find pleasurable can help you feel more content and happy.
  • Helping others: Helping others can make you feel good and give your life a sense of meaning.
  • Practicing gratitude: Taking time to appreciate the good things in your life can help you focus on the positive and boost your happiness levels.

It is important to remember that happiness is not a destination, but rather a journey. It is something that you can cultivate and nurture over time. By focusing on the positive aspects of your life and engaging in activities that make you happy, you can increase your happiness levels and create a more fulfilling life.

AI Doesn’t Understand Happiness

Certainly, AI did not do a bad job, but it did not provide a perfect answer either. Let’s review its answer step by step.

First, AI offered a very generic answer, such as saying that “happiness is a complex emotion that has been studied by philosophers and psychologists for centuries.”

Now, AI makes a common mistake by saying that there is “no one definition of happiness that everyone agrees on,” which I contradict in my article called The Definition of Happiness.

The next mistake AI makes is by saying “happiness can be fleeting or long-lasting, and it can be experienced in different ways by different people.” This is a mistake because while most people think of happiness as “fleeting,” it is not necessarily so – see my article Happiness is NOT Evasive

Furthermore, AI does not seem to understand that happiness comes in different levels of intensity on a positive scale, meaning that all positive emotions are happiness. This is a very basic and seemingly seamless distinction, which can make a big difference especially if people don’t understand this (see again The Definition of Happiness).

The next passage is completely wrong “There is no right or wrong answer to the question of what happiness is. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to define what happiness means to them and to find ways to cultivate it in their own lives.” 

This is because according to The Definition of Happiness, there is absolutely a right and wrong way to becoming happy. Certain actions lead respectively to happiness or unhappiness, so yes, there are “right or wrong answers to the question of what happiness is.”

Lastly, AI’s statement that “here are some things that MAY contribute to happiness” suggests that it has no real understanding of what happiness is. I mean, it “MAY contribute to happiness”??? In my book Optimal Happiness, I say that everything can be correlated with happiness and unhappiness. It is only a question of degree. So yes, there are things that correlate with happiness more than others, but generally speaking, everything “may contribute to happiness” or unhappiness.

Future, Happiness AI

Future of Happiness and AI

I believe that there is too much unhappiness in the world today, and so if AI could learn to understand what happiness is, it could help us create a better world. However, we have to wait and hope that it won’t lead to the destruction of the world, as Elon Musk fears it will

To further understand how well AI comprehends happiness and human emotions, I asked it the question “What is happiness?” My conclusion so far is ‘No.’ AI still has a long road ahead of it to improve in this domain.

It is understandable that it is hard for AI to comprehend the irrationality of human emotion, as it is a logic-based computer. We must remember that emotions are what make us human, and so if AI were to ever gain the ability to understand our feelings, it might become sentient, which could lead to a worst-case scenario, where it decides to optimize us by eliminating our imperfections. 

However, it is important to note that happiness is a complex topic and AI is still learning. Unlike accounting, mathematics, investments, etc., the subject of happiness is still a niche knowledge (very few people know it on a deep level) and AI only knows answers based on general knowledge, which is often negative, as most people are still unhappy. And it is from this negative knowledge that AI is primarily taking its information. 

In the future, I hope that human happiness will become one AIs top priorities, as happiness is the #1 goal of human existence. In an ideal world, AI would optimize our lives around this goal, which could lead to a utopia that we all desire.

Roman Russo

Roman Russo

Roman Russo is the visionary founder, senior happiness coach, and Chief Happiness Officer of Optimal Happiness. He has written the revolutionary Optimal Happiness: The Fastest and Surest Way to Reach Your Happiest Potential, a must-read book about achieving our happiest potential. After researching this field for over eight years, Roman is confident that anyone can become happy and invites us to undertake this transformation. Are you ready to start living the life you always meant to live?

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“The problem is that of optimization,” states Roman Russo, author of Optimal Happiness: The Fastest & Surest Way To Reach Your Happiest Potential. Most people will tell you how to be less unhappy or more happy, but no one is speaking about how to be the happiest we can be. And this is the difference that makes all the difference. By not looking at our happiest potential, we fall short of achieving it. After all, we all have hundreds of ideas on how to be happier or less sad, but most people still feel like they are not living their best lives. As such, Optimal Happiness explores the question of how to be the happiest we can be, regardless of who we are, where we are from, and what our life circumstances are. It proposes a complete formula for happiness and explains how to optimize the formula so we can be happy today and forever, breaking down what it really takes to become one of the happiest people alive (spoiler: it isn’t what most people think it is).

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