Artificial Happiness: Fulfilment in the Age of AI

Duncan CJ
  • 4.9 (37)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

In a world run by algorithms, how do we stay human? This is Artificial Happiness — where we explore engineered fulfilment, real meaning, and the invisible wiring that shapes our lives. Each week, I speak with those building our future—and the thinkers unpacking what it means to truly thrive.

  1. 10 FEB

    #153 – Your Brain Is a Detective Minimizing Surprise | Karl Friston

    What if anxiety, bad habits, and even curiosity can all be explained by a single mathematical principle? What if your brain isn’t processing information—it’s actively constructing fantasies to explain the world? Professor Karl Friston is...

    57 min

  2. 24 JAN

    #152 – Building the Impossible: Moonshots, AI, and Zero to One | Sebastian Thrun

    What separates founders who dream from founders who build category-defining companies? How do you take something considered science fiction and make it inevitable? Dr. Sebastian Thrun is the founder of Google X, Waymo, and Udacity—the...

    42 min

  3. 03/12/2025

    #151 – The Education System Isn’t Broken—It’s Obsolete | Sugata Mitra

    What if everything we believe about teaching and learning is based on a system designed for empires that no longer exist—and children can teach themselves advanced biochemistry without a single qualified teacher? In 1999, Professor...

    56 min

  4. 20/11/2025

    #150 – Your Future Self Is a Stranger | Hal Hershfield

    What if you procrastinate, avoid saving money, and make decisions you later regret not because of willpower—but because your brain treats your future self as a different person? Professor Hal Hershfield from UCLA’s Anderson School...

    43 min

  5. 27/10/2025

    #149 – The Case Against AI Consciousness | Anil Seth

    In a world racing toward artificial general intelligence, one of the world’s leading consciousness researchers argues we’re chasing the wrong goal entirely. What if the brain isn’t a computer at all—and consciousness requires something silicon...

    39 min

  6. 24/10/2025

    #148 – Why We Stop Noticing Joy (And How to Get It Back) | Tali Sharot

    What if the secret to happiness isn’t finding more pleasure, but learning how to keep feeling the pleasure you already have? Neuroscientist Tali Sharot reveals why our brains are wired to stop noticing the good...

    36 min

  7. 09/08/2025

    #147 – The Paradox of Choice in the AI Age | Barry Schwartz Returns

    In this episode I sit down with psychologist Barry Schwartz whose groundbreaking work continues to shape how we understand choice, freedom, and human flourishing in our rapidly evolving world. Eight years after our first conversation,...

    42 min

  8. 23/11/2020

    #146 – Carl Honoré returns

    Today I’ve got a friend back on the show for round 2, Carl Honoré. Carl is the author of the international bestseller, ‘In Praise of Slow’ which dissects our speed-obsessed society and celebrates those who...

    23 min
See All (173)

4.9
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

In a world run by algorithms, how do we stay human? This is Artificial Happiness — where we explore engineered fulfilment, real meaning, and the invisible wiring that shapes our lives. Each week, I speak with those building our future—and the thinkers unpacking what it means to truly thrive.

Information