Beauty At Work Faith, Love, and AI with John Havens - S4E4 (Part 2 of 2)
John C. Havens has spent years at the heart of the global conversation on AI ethics. As the Founding Executive Director of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, he led the creation of Ethically Aligned Design, a document that went on to influence the United Nations, OECD, IBM, and dozens of organizations shaping the future of AI. He also helped build the IEEE 7000 Standards Series, now one of the largest bodies of international standards on AI and society.
Today, John serves as the Global Staff Director for the IEEE Planet Positive 2030 Program, guiding efforts that prioritize both ecological and human flourishing in technological design. But his perspective on AI doesn’t begin with policy or engineering; it starts with love, vulnerability, and the deep spiritual questions that have shaped his life.
Previously, John was an EVP of Social Media at Porter Novelli and was a professional actor for over 15 years. John has written for Mashable and The Guardian and is author of the books, Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity To Maximize Machines, Hacking Happiness: Why Your Personal Data Counts and How Tracking it Can Change the World, and Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand. John is also an expert with AI and Faith.
In this second part of our conversation, we talk about:
- The core of reality as love
- Dangers of ignoring grief
- Why values must be integrated into AI systems from the very beginning
- How generative AI entered classrooms and workplaces without care, consent, or love
- The seductive danger of simulated relationships
- The role of faith communities in an automated society
- John’s GAP framework: gratitude, altruism, and purpose
- Risks of using AI in religious settings
- How genuine community embodies the kind of love and dignity that technology must never replace
To learn more about John’s work:
- IEEE Planet Positive 2030 Program – https://sagroups.ieee.org/planetpositive
- IEEE 7000 Standards Series – https://standards.ieee.org
Books and resources mentioned:
- Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines (John Havens)
- Hacking Happiness: Why Your Personal Data Counts and How Tracking it Can Change the World (John Havens)
- The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power (Shoshana Zuboff)
- Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (Sherry Turkle)
This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust.