Intro

Technology promised us progress, and it delivered. But it also left us disconnected, distracted, and disheartened at the same time. With AI advancing faster than human adaptation or regulation, will it erode our humanity, or can it become the very tool that helps us flourish?

In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Tamara Lechner to explore how AI can bridge the gap between what we know and what we practice in the pursuit of human flourishing.

Tamara Lechner is a happiness expert, author, and global speaker. As Chair of the AI & Human Flourishing Working Group at Harvard, she helps leaders and organizations apply the science of flourishing to create meaningful, human-centered futures.

In the conversation, Ashish and Tamara unpack how AI can either harm or uplift us, and what it will take for leaders, organizations, and individuals to put humans at the heart of this powerful technology.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• Why AI is both friend and foe depending on how we use it.

• The three ethical AI pillars: productivity, protection from harm, and fairness.

• The overlooked dimensions of flourishing AI must support

• Why organizations—not just individuals—must own responsibility for burnout and culture.

• How to shift from audience to activist in shaping the future of technology

Join us in building a future where technology enhances humanity rather than diminishes it. Tune in now to hear how we can harness AI to truly help humans flourish.

✅Resources:

• How to make flourishing your competitive edge | Ashish Kothari | TEDxGreenhouse Road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRV-2C-fkNg 

• AI for Human Flourishing: https://www.aiforhumanflourishing.com/

• The Human Flourishing Program: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/ai-human-flourishing 

• Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health by McKinsey Health Institute: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/reframing-employee-health-moving-beyond-burnout-to-holistic-health

• Conscious Capitalism Movement: https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/ 

• IEEE 7010: A New Standard for Assessing the Well-being Implications of Artificial Intelligence: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2005.06620 

✅Books:

• The Happiness Reset: What to do When Nothing Makes You Happy by Tamara Lechner: https://a.co/d/gZY7eXu 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/9LWxYmV