Promise or Peril?
International Positive Psychology Association Kicks Off Inaugural Global Virtual Summit Exploring AI’s Role in Human Wellbeing
Five-day virtual event brings together researchers, clinicians, and practitioners to address AI’s transformative impact on mental health and flourishing.
[CITY, DATE] — The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) kicks off its inaugural Virtual Summit March 23-27, 2026, addressing the intersection of artificial intelligence and human wellbeing. Chaired by University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, with Prof. Llewellyn E. van Zyl (North-West University and Psynalytics) as Program Chair, the Summit responds to the rapid deployment of AI tools shaping how millions pursue happiness, resilience, and personal growth, often with minimal input from psychological science.
Dr. Seligman, who describes himself as a former AI skeptic, now sees urgent opportunities in the technology. “Over the past two years, something changed. I began to see, in very concrete ways, what this technology might make possible,” he said. “Psychology is at a crossroads. One path leads to fear and paralysis. The other asks how AI might help many more people flourish. If we believe flourishing should sit at the center of human progress, then we must help AI grow in that direction.”
While technology companies rapidly deploy AI-powered wellbeing tools, the psychological professionals who study happiness, resilience, and optimal functioning have largely remained on the sidelines. Current AI applications range from mood tracking and habit formation to therapeutic chatbots and workplace wellbeing programs, yet many lack rigorous scientific grounding or ethical oversight.
“AI is no longer a future concept in delivering wellbeing solutions. It’s here, it’s scaling fast, and it’s influencing how people’s wellbeing is conceptualised, measured, and managed,” said Prof. van Zyl. “Engineers are now defining what wellbeing is. If psychologists are not involved in designing these systems, we risk outsourcing some of the most important human decisions to algorithms that were never designed with the psychological depth required to facilitate real human development.”
Comprehensive Five-Day Program
The five-day program features more than 40 internationally recognized thought leaders in AI (see keynote speakers below) and expects to draw over 1,000 attendees from 50+ countries, including researchers, clinicians, positive psychology coaches, educators, and organizational practitioners.
The five-day virtual event will explore the full arc of AI’s impact on wellbeing, from its promise to increase access and personalization, through emerging risks such as emotional oversimplification and ethical blind spots, and toward practical frameworks for responsible, human-centred AI design.
Day 1: Distinguishing genuine AI breakthroughs from marketing hype in wellbeing applications
Day 2: Exploring AI’s capabilities in precision diagnostics and hyper-personalized interventions
Day 3: Examining unintended consequences, including AI-induced psychological phenomena and cognitive dependencies
Day 4: Navigating ethical complexities in AI implementation for psychological practice
Day 5: Building competencies for thriving in an AI-integrated professional landscape
Each day combines keynote presentations, expert panel discussions, and participants’ choice of hands-on practical workshops or cutting-edge research sessions. Topics range from prompt engineering and AI-driven systematic literature reviews to ethical framework development and human-AI collaboration protocols.
Accessibility and Global Participation
The virtual format accommodates global participation with sessions repeated across multiple time zones. All keynotes and panels will be recorded and available for two months post-event.
“This isn’t just an academic discussion,” noted IPPA Executive Director Andrew Soren. “We’re building a framework for positive psychology professionals to productively engage with emerging technologies while preserving and enhancing the unique capabilities that define human contribution to psychological practice.”
The Summit will also feature the inaugural IPPA AI and Wellbeing Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in two categories: Technology and Research.
Event Details
IPPA Virtual Summit on AI and the Future of Wellbeing
Dates: March 23–27, 2026
Format: Fully virtual, global access
More information and registration: http://aisummit.ippanetwork.org/
Keynote Speakers:
| Name | Organization | Tagline | Talk Title(s) |
| Marshall Belcher | Google Cloud | Driving Enterprise AI Strategy at Global Scale | The Flourishing Machine: Aligning Artificial Intelligence with the Science of Human Well-Being |
| Angela Duckworth | University of Pennsylvania | Pioneer of Grit and Human Potential | Multiple Selves and Alignment |
| Johannes Eichstaedt | Stanford University | Pioneering AI Tools to Improve Mental Health | Using AI to Improve Mental Health and Well-Being |
| Michael Gerlich | SBS Swiss Business School | Global Voice on AI’s Societal Impact | Hidden Cost of AI Dependence |
| Sepehr Khosravi | University of California, Berkeley | Democratizing AI Skills for Real-World Impact | AI Crash Course: Build Proficiency; Building with AI for Practitioners |
| Lisa Marsch & Nicholas Jacobson | Dartmouth College | Transforming Healthcare Through Scalable Digital Therapeutics | Evergreen: A Novel AI-enabled Platform (co-presented) |
| Kate Niederhoffer | BetterUp Labs | Exploring the Emotional Psychology of Human–AI Interaction | Psychological Evidence on AI Coaching and Well-Being |
| Steve Peralta | Unmind | Championing Human Presence in the Age of AI | Being Met: AI, Humanity, and the Real Work of Healing |
| Robb Rutledge | Yale University | Decoding the Brain’s Mechanics of Happiness | Equations for Happiness |
| Martin Seligman | University of Pennsylvania | Founder of Positive Psychology | The Promise and the Perils of AI for Psychology |
| Don Shin | Texas Tech University | Interrogating Trust, Truth, and Power in AI | The Future of Epistemic Infrastructure |
| Ederick Stander | North-West University | Reframing Talent Development in the Intelligence Age | Reframing Talent Development |
| Lyle Ungar | University of Pennsylvania | Decoding How AI Shapes Learning and Wellbeing | Well-Being in the Age of AI |
| Llewellyn van Zyl | North-West University | Pioneering Precision Wellbeing Using AI | The Last Generation to Define Wellbeing;
The Malpractice of Good Intentions |
| Yukun Zhao | Chinese University of Hong Kong | Scaling Positive Psychology Through AI & Culture | Talking to the Dead: LLM–Assisted Analysis of Ancient Texts |
Registration and Information
Full program details and registration: https://aisummit.ippanetwork.org/
About IPPA:
Founded in 2007, the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) promotes the science and practice of positive psychology and facilitates communication and collaboration among researchers and practitioners worldwide who are interested in positive psychology, the science of wellbeing and its applications. https://ippanetwork.org/
About Positive Psychology:
Founded in 1998 by Dr. Martin Seligman, positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing. It focuses on factors such as positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment – things that help individuals, communities, institutions, and nations thrive.
Positive psychology embraces the complexity of human experience, including adversity, inequality, and systems-level interconnections. It seeks to understand how people and societies can not only feel good and function well but also contribute to a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world. It integrates insights from multiple disciplines and cultural perspectives, and applies them across settings such as education, healthcare, workplaces, and public policy.
Media Contact:
Claire Doyle
International Positive Psychology Association
Email: info@ippanetwork.org