Dr. Kadir Uludag
Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, China
Title: Designing for Happiness in the Age of AI: A Practical Framework for Flourishing Alongside Intelligent Machines
Abstract:
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we work, create, and measure our value. As machines absorb routine and increasingly cognitive tasks, a critical question arises: how do we ensure that greater efficiency leads to greater human happiness, rather than emptiness? This paper moves beyond critique to offer an actionable framework for individuals and organizations navigating this transition.
Approach: Synthesizing insights from self-determination theory, positive psychology, and human–AI interaction research, we propose a three-pillar framework for cultivating happiness in AI-augmented environments. Rather than treating well-being as a passive outcome, we frame it as something that must be deliberately designed for.
Framework:
1. Autonomy: Preserve human agency by keeping AI as a tool, not an authority.
2. Competence: Reinvest freed time into skill growth, creativity, and mastery
3. Purpose: Deliberately redirect productivity gains toward meaningful connection, contribution, and reflection.
Conclusion: Happiness in the AI age will not arrive automatically through efficiency. It must be intentionally cultivated. This work offers a starting point for that cultivation.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, happiness, well-being, self-determination theory, human flourishing
Biography:
Kadir Uludag, Ph.D., is an Applied Psychology researcher whose work spans schizophrenia, machine learning, and educational psychology. He earned his doctorate from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and currently holds a postdoctoral position at Capital Medical University's Xuanwu Hospital, where he continues to contribute to the field of psychiatry.