MO GAWDAT

Mo Gawdat isn’t just another tech expert. He’s a futurist, a problem-solver, and a straight talker on artificial intelligence, innovation, and ethics. After 30 years in the industry, including his time as Chief Business Officer at Google X - the company’s secretive “moonshot” factory - he’s seen firsthand how technology can change the world, for better or worse.

Now, he’s sounding the alarm on AI’s rapid rise and the risks that come with it. His 2021 book, Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, unpacks the ethical dilemmas of AI and lays out a roadmap to make sure it works for humanity, not against it. In 2023, he took on the role of Chief AI Officer at Flight Story, Steven Bartlett’s digital marketing company, bringing his expertise to the business world.

These days, Gawdat is on a mission: to make sure we don’t sleepwalk into an AI-driven future we can’t control. Through his writing, speaking, and leadership, he’s pushing for a smarter, more responsible approach to the technology that’s reshaping our world.

Mo Gawdat isn’t just a tech visionary—he’s also a best-selling author and a global voice on happiness and emotional well-being. In 2014, after the heartbreaking loss of his son Ali, he set out on a deeply personal quest to understand what truly makes us happy. His research led to Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy, a book that breaks down happiness into an actionable formula. But for Mo, this isn’t just theory—it’s a mission. Through #OneBillionHappy, he’s working to spread the message of happiness to a billion people in Ali’s honor.

His message struck a chord. A Channel 4 interview about his work went viral, racking up over 80 million views and bringing his ideas to a massive audience. He continues to explore these themes on Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat, where he has deep, thought-provoking conversations with some of the world’s sharpest minds on happiness, purpose, and resilience.

What sets Mo apart is the way he bridges two worlds: cutting-edge technology and the human pursuit of well-being. Whether he’s tackling AI ethics or redefining happiness, his work is shaping some of the most important conversations of our time.

Selected Press links: Wired, GQ Magazine, Business Insider, Fortune, Tech EU News, Alarabiya News

Best-Selling Books

• Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World (2021) presents a roadmap for ensuring a symbiotic coexistence with AI. It offers a deep dive into AI development's ethical and societal challenges while providing solutions to ensure AI remains a force for good and serves humanity positively. Named one of The Times & Sunday Times best business books of 2021.

• Unstressable: A Practical Guide to StreFree Living (2024), which became a #1 Amazon bestseller on day 1 and has spawned a community of people who share the mission to eliminate unhealthy stress from their lives.

• Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy (2017): This book offers a formula for achieving lasting happiness, drawing on insights into human behaviour.

•  That Little Voice in Your Head: Adjust the Code That Runs Your Brain (2022), a comprehensive user manual for using the human brain optimally to thrive and avoid suffering.