An international research team has unveiled a pioneering AI tool designed to measure national happiness levels in real time.
This innovative tool, named Gross National Happiness.Today (GNH.Today), is the first of its kind and promises to offer valuable insights into societal wellbeing globally.
Unlike traditional methods that rely on periodic surveys, GNH.Today uses crowdsensing AI to provide daily snapshots of national happiness.
Crowdsensing involves gathering data from a large number of individuals through their smartphones and other devices. Thae data used is open and publicly available, ensuring privacy and consent. This method provides a complete and real-time view of public sentiment without invading anyone's privacy.
The cutting-edge GNH.Today tool is the first to measure national happiness without relying on social media data. Instead, it employs a unique approach to analyse emotion-related words from various online sources, such as Google searches, to provide a more detailed and accurate snapshot of public sentiment.
The happiness index ranges from 0 (extreme unhappiness) to 10 (extreme happiness).
Project co-lead Dr Frédéric Boy of Swansea University’s Zienkiewicz Institute highlighted the significance of this development: "GNH.Today revolutionizes how we understand societal well-being by offering real-time data, a critical tool for policymakers and journalists.
"The traditional metrics of national success, primarily economic indicators, have long been criticised for their inability to capture the true essence of human well-being. Over the past 50 years, Western nations have sought to address this gap through periodic happiness surveys. However, the rapid pace of modern life and the proliferation of mobile technology have rendered these slower methods less relevant. GNH.Today provides an immediate, dynamic assessment.”
The researchers believe that this technology represents a significant step forward in measuring societal progress. By harnessing open-source data, GNH.Today paves the way for more empathetic governance by offering a transparent, reliable measure of national happiness.
Professor Talita Greyling from the University of Johannesburg and Dr Stephanie Rossouw from the Auckland University of Technology said: "With GNH.Today, we are moving towards a more holistic approach to governance, where the well-being of citizens is given the attention it deserves. This tool will not only aid decision-makers across the globe in crafting policies that enhance quality of life but also help journalists and humanitarian organisations better understand and respond to the needs of the population.”