Viewing archives for Cause And Effect

What the world’s happiest countries can teach us about joyful living

New Scientist

Finland is starting to sound like a nirvana. A few months ago, it was named the happiest country in the World Happiness Report, topping the chart alongside its Nordic neighbours, which occupy five of the top six spots. And this was no fluke – Finland has now come first for nine years in a row.

Ostensibly, there are plenty of factors that ought to make people in Nordic countries less than content, not least the dingy weather and high taxes. Then again, there is a sense that these taxes really go somewhere, with residents reaping the rewards of investment into healthcare, education and transport. Plus, the low population density, massive forest coverage and access to lakes and coastlines all mean that even city dwellers are never too far from nature.

But how much confidence should we place in these global rankings? After all, happiness is a slippery concept, and all sorts of factors – not least how different cultures understand what it means to be happy – could conceivably skew the results. To delve into these questions, New Scientist spoke to economist and behavioural scientist Jan-Emmanuel De Neve at the University of Oxford, the editor of the World Happiness Report. He explained how his work attempts to measure true happiness, why he believes Finland deserves its top spot and what the rest of us can do to bring a bit more joy to our everyday lives.

The shrinking arguments for degrowth

Financial Times

And earlier this year new research pushed back on the argument that once a country becomes rich enough, further economic growth doesn’t boost wellbeing. After adjusting for the way people change their frame of reference over time, focusing instead on whether they say they are doing better than in the past, the research found life satisfaction continued to climb alongside GDP per capita even in countries as rich as the US.

Is AI sentient?

Dr Caspar Kaiser (Warwick) shared findings on the capacity for AI models to experience wellbeing at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

His research uses multiple practical experiments to test large language models (LLMs)’ sentience, and their capacity for wellbeing and decision-making.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

AI and Workplace Wellbeing

Micah Kaats (Harvard) and Dr George Ward (INSEAD) shared findings on the impact of AI on workplace wellbeing at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

The pair shared findings from three studies, examining the AI impact of workers’ exposure to AI, the wellbeing effects of its use in the workplace, and individual-level effects.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

AI, Wellbeing and Society

Dr Johannes Eichstaedt (Stanford) shared findings on the relationship between AI and wellbeing – and what it could mean for society at large – at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

His work examines how psychology affects the creation and use of large language models (LLMs) and how LLMs, in turn, shape human psychology.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

CEO to staff: You’re not getting a raise. We’re spending on AI instead.

Business Insider

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, an economist and director of Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre, told Business Insider he expects more companies to make similar trade-offs as they pursue AI, saying it is indicative of a “short-term mindset.”

“When leaders openly cut human compensation to fund AI, they are trying to project decisive, tech-forward management. However, the actual message traveling to the workforce is that they do not have a secure future in the organization,” De Neve said.

Excessive social media ‘negatively impacts wellbeing’

BBC News

The World Happiness Report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, found that excessive use of social media negatively impacts our wellbeing.

“If you use social media for an hour a day, that’s great, you’re being connected,” says Michael Plant, Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre.

“But the report did show a correlation between, the more time you spend on social media the greater loss of wellbeing.”

Meta Begins 8,000 Global Job Cuts in AI Efficiency Push

Bloomberg

“Automators like Meta risk no longer being an employer of choice as it’s being revealed that they will cut out the human when the opportunity presents itself,” said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics and behavioral science at University of Oxford. “Doing so might well lead to short-term cost savings but risks longer-term growth potential by undermining employee wellbeing and engagement.”

How happy is the world in 2026? With Jan-Emmanuel De Neve

The We Society

What can we learn from the happiest countries in the world? In this episode of the We Society podcast, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, joins host Will Hutton to discuss the findings of the 2026 World Happiness Report and what we can learn for putting wellbeing at the heart of public policy.

S&P Global and Wellbeing Research Centre establish strategic collaboration to study AI-enabled work

The Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford and financial intelligence experts S&P Global have established a strategic collaboration to enable new research into how emerging technologies are changing the landscape of work.

The Wellbeing Research Centre is one of eight strategic collaborators announced today as part of the next phase of the three-year $10 million StepForward initiative between S&P Global and the S&P Global Foundation.

Launched in December 2025, StepForward aims to equip the next generation with the skills needed to succeed in an AI-enabled workforce by working through global and regional collaborators, complemented by skills-based volunteering that channels S&P Global employees’ expertise.

Strategic collaboration between S&P Global and the Wellbeing Research Centre will enable interdisciplinary study of multiple aspects of AI, data, and emerging technologies, as well as their knock-on effects on wellbeing at work and other indicators of business performance.

In particular, researchers will focus on how technological developments change and shape the job market, and identify the skills required for people to thrive in the AI era.

Funding will also support an academic prize for outstanding research in the domain of AI, wellbeing and the future of work. Further details of this student prize, including how to enter, will be announced by the Wellbeing Research Centre in due course.

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural at Saïd Business School and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre, said: “AI has already fundamentally changed the world of work, but its impact on wellbeing remains poorly understood. This strategic collaboration enables us to take a closer look at how people respond to the opportunities – and challenges – that such emerging technologies may create.”

Girish Ganesan, Chief People Officer at S&P Global, said: “This collaboration reflects StepForward’s commitment to supporting organisations that drive innovation and impact. We’re proud to advance the Wellbeing Research Centre’s new interdisciplinary research, which will contribute to a deeper understanding of AI and the future of work.”

Find out more about the StepForward initiative at spglobal.com/en/who-we-are/corporate-responsibility/stepforward.