AI Meets Mindfulness: Global Forum Launches in Zurich as Artificial Intelligence and Human Consciousness Converge

 

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes daily life, it also brings heightened anxiety, disorientation and urgent ethical dilemmas.

On 1 October, the newly established World Meditation Day Committee, in partnership with the World Meditation Foundation (WMF) and the ETH AI Center in Zurich, hosted the inaugural international forum “AI + Mindfulness: Elevating Human Awareness”. The event also marked the official launch of the Committee. Alongside the discussions came a global call to action: to join a synchronised meditation on 21 December, aimed at fostering balance and resilience in the human mind.

Forum Overview

Held as part of the Zurich AI Festival—one of Europe’s leading gatherings on artificial intelligence—the forum explored the intersection of technology and mindfulness. Organised by ETH Zurich, the festival convenes influential voices from academia, industry, and policy.

 

This was the first time that meditation and AI had been brought together on the international stage. The forum not only drew widespread attention but also signalled the Committee’s commitment to engaging in global debates on AI governance and cognitive science.

 

Establishment of the World Meditation Day Committee

In 2024, the World Meditation Foundation proposed to the United Nations that 21 December be recognised as World Meditation Day. The UN formally endorsed the initiative, creating a new global consensus.

 

Following that milestone, the Foundation spent a year preparing for the launch of the Committee, which was formally announced in Zurich. The move marks a shift from international advocacy to coordinated global action.

 

The Committee consists of five sub-committees: the Expert Committee, the Scientific Research Committee, the Humanities, Arts and Ethics Committee, the Global Meditation Retreat Centres Alliance, and the World Meditation Foundation itself. Each of the five sub-committees is respectively tasked with setting standards, advancing scientific research, fostering cultural and ethical dialogue, promoting resource sharing and innovation, and ensuring resource support. Together, they aim to make meditation a central force in global action.

 

Expert Voices

In the Al era, a central challenge is leveraging its benefits while mitigating risks such as manipulation, replacement, and cognitive decline from overreliance. Meditation, as an ancient practice, has regained scholarly attention, with experts across disciplines agreeing on its potential to enhance human wisdom and psychological resilience.

Our meditation research draws on China's profound cultural heritage and employs modern science to validate its benefits for humanity,embodying cultural confidence while fostering respectful cross-cultural exchange and mutual contribution.

——Professor Donghong Cui

 

It's very interesting, I've never been to an event with meditation in it, and the scope of the research is incredibly broad. I've never been in a room with so many different types of researchers. It's great. It is my hope that events of this kind will be carried forward and held again.

——Professor Elliott Ash

 

Most people who are in the paradigm of thinking as a means to solution are very strongly attached to it. To the extent that they are obsessed with it. AI is nothing more than a technology expansion of composed thinking: just go through everything, you will find the best solution by probability. And meditation is entirely different. True meditation will let you get rid of this obsession with thinking.

——Marc Jose Reinhardt

 

 

Proceedings of the Forum

The forum brought together meditation teachers, sociologists, psychiatrists, and AI researchers from Australia, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, the United States, and across Africa, in alphabetical order.

 

The programme featured keynote speeches, research presentations, meditation practices, a tea ceremony and roundtable dialogues. It opened with a brief silent entry, symbolising the need to turn inward amid accelerating technological change.

 

Speakers included Elliott Ash, Director of the Institute for Economic Research at ETH Zurich; Enrico Somma, from Liechtenstein—the UN sponsor of the World Meditation Day proposal—and Fei Yu, representatives of the World

Meditation Foundation. Together, they emphasized the global significance of the initiative and urged academics, industry leaders, and the public to address the psychological and social impacts of AI.

 

Professor Elliott Ash examined the relationship between “human intelligence and machine values”, arguing that while AI is reshaping decision-making and the distribution of resources, mindfulness can help humanity cultivate wisdom to guide this transformation.

 

Associate Professor Jagpreet Chhatwal of Harvard University presented research on “AI + Meditation for Public Health”, showing clinical results of mindfulness interventions and suggesting AI-driven personalised meditation plans to ease the burden on healthcare systems.

 

Zikai Wang, Chief Technology Officer of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, addressed the forum virtually, calling for mindfulness to “calm the AI storm” by reducing societal anxiety and ethical panic.

 

Professor Petra Ahrweiler of Johannes Gutenberg University proposed a framework of “contemplative intelligence”, positioning meditation as a moral compass for AI governance and development.

Following a short tea break, Professor Patrick Francois of the University of British Columbia analysed the role of consciousness in shaping collective behaviour and social cooperation, suggesting meditation could enhance trust and improve public decision-making.

 

Professor Donghong Cui of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s School of Medicine shared her latest research on “AI, Meditation and Precision Mental Health”, showing how meditation can help young people overcome depression and anxiety—achieving recovery even without long-term medication.

 

World Meditation Day Committee Debuts with Global AI + Mindfulness Symposium in Zurich

 

Zurich, Switzerland – The newly established World Meditation Day Committee will host its first international event, AI + Mindfulness: Enhancing Human Awareness, on October 1, 2025, in partnership with the Zurich AI Festival. More than a debut, the symposium signals the Committee’s commitment to visionary leadership and practical action at the intersection of technological innovation and human consciousness.

 

Held both online and onsite at the ETH AI Center, the one-day event will bring together global experts in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, meditation, and ethics. It positions the Committee not just as a thought leader but as a collaborative platform capable of translating dialogue into measurable impact.

A Committee of Global Representation

Formed in response to the UN’s proclamation of December 21 as World Meditation Day, the Committee is a non-political, international body supported by the World Meditation Foundation, dedicated to promoting meditation worldwide as a path to inner peace and global harmony.

 

The World Meditation Day Committee is guided by nine distinguished representatives—drawn from the UN proposal nations (Liechtenstein, Andorra, India, Mexico, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and from diverse meditation traditions across culture.  They form a six-member Presidium and a three-member Advisory Group. Together, they embody a balance of governance, spirituality, and global engagement, ensuring both symbolic unity and practical wisdom.

 

Presidium Mmembers

·       Fr. Cyprian Consiglio (Christianity, Italy) – Secretary in General of Dicastery for Inter-Monastic Dialogue, composer, and author

·       Mr. Enrico Somma (Liechtenstein) – Legal and governance expert specializing in international trusts and philanthropy

·       Mr. Marc Reinhardt (Islam, Mauritania/Switzerland) – Intercultural researcher and practitioner rooted in multiple wisdom traditions

·       Ven. Dhammajiva Maha Thero (Sri Lanka) – Renowned meditation master who pioneered mindfulness education in schools

·       Manhwa Sunim (Mexico/Korea) – Zen teacher bridging Eastern practice and Western context

·       Deshung Rinpoche (Nepal) – Representative of Tibetan Buddhism and contemporary mindfulness practice

Advisory Group Members

·       Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (South Korea) – Founder of Jungto Society and global humanitarian leader

·       Prof. Jack Sim (Singapore) – Founder of the World Toilet Organization and advocate for social innovation

·       Ven. Miaohai – Swiss meditation practitioner

 

Five Sub-Committees Driving Global Impact

The Committee advances its mission through five specialized sub-committees, each combining expertise and leadership to ensure meditation is both preserved as a universal practice and applied to global challenges:

 

1. Expert Committee – Led by Fr. Cyprian Consiglio (Christianity, Italy), convening meditation masters across traditions to develop global evaluation standards for meditation and foster interfaith dialogue.

2. Scientific Research Committee – Headed by Prof. Donghong Cui (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), a psychiatrist and pioneer in meditation-based mental health. Deputy leadership is provided by Prof. Elliot Ash (ETH Zurich), a leading behavioral scientist. This committee conducts empirical studies on meditation, rigorously exploring the body–mind–spirit connection.

3. Humanities, Arts & Ethics Committee – Convened by Prof. Chia-ju Chang (Brooklyn College, USA), a Zen teacher and scholar whose work bridges contemplative practice with ecological and social ethics. The committee integrates meditation with arts, ethical reflection, and social responsibility.

4. Global Meditation Retreat Centers Alliance – The Alliance plays a crucial role in sustaining the global meditation movement by implementing evaluation standards, developing training programs, promoting best practices, facilitating certification, and organizing international forums and exhibitions. It is coordinated by Ven. Jinbeom (Bongamsa Temple, South Korea), with Deputy Lan Lu, a certified coach integrating mindfulness into leadership development, to connect retreat centers worldwide and foster collaboration and innovation.

5. World Meditation Foundation – Ensuring the Committee’s long-term sustainability, the Foundation provides strategic, institutional, and financial support. It is led by President Zhaoyang Sun, who brings extensive experience in leadership and organizational strategy.

Symposium Highlights: Depth and Diversity

The October 1st AI + Mindfulness Symposium will highlight the depth and diversity of these leadership circles, with many speakers drawn directly from the Committee’s Presidium and Sub-Committees.

The program combines keynotes, scientific presentations, guided meditation sessions, roundtables, and experiential practices such as tea ceremony—balancing intellectual depth with lived contemplative experience.

Featured speakers include:

·       Prof. Donghong Cui (Shanghai, onsite) – AI, Meditation, and Precision Mental Health, presenting her pioneering work using biomarkers and AI for meditation-based therapy.

·       Prof. Chia-ju Chang (Brooklyn, onsite) – Zen Pedagogy and Ecological Ethics, leading a guided meditation and reflecting on contemplative approaches to environment and education.

·       Marc Jose Reinhardt (Switzerland/Africa, onsite) – Mindful Technology Across Cultures, exploring how meditation traditions shape human–AI relations.

·       Distinguished professor from Germany (online) – Contemplative Intelligence and Ethical AI, introducing a new framework for aligning technology with human values.

·       Distinguished professor from Shanghai (online) – Meditation as an Inner Anchor in the Age of AI, highlighting its stabilizing role amid rapid innovation.

 

Bridge Minds, Bridge Machines: World Meditation Day Committee Brings Mindfulness to the Forefront of Zurich AI Festival

 

Zurich, Switzerland — As artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and human experience, the question grows sharper: how can we ensure technology serves humanity rather than overtakes it? The World Meditation Day Committee is proud to serve as a key collaborator and thematic partner at the Zurich AI Festival, taking place from September 29 to October 4, 2025,  to bring mindfulness and ethical awareness into the heart of AI innovation.

 

The Committee will play a central role in facilitating critical dialogue around the confluence of artificial intelligence and human consciousness, continuing the foundational work that led to the establishment of World Meditation Day.

 

Shaping a Human-Centric AI Future: The Zurich AI Festival

The Zurich AI Festival is established as a leading platform for meaningful and interdisciplinary exchange in the AI ecosystem. Designed to address AI at a critical turning point, the festival emphasizes ethical, transparent, and responsible development, offering a neutral space for academia, industry, startups, and the public to engage in open discourse.

 

Write Here...With over 25 events across Zurich, the festival includes highlights such as:

 

·       AI+X Summit: The flagship event exploring interdisciplinary AI applications

·       AI + Mindfulness: A dedicated track organized in partnership with the World Meditation Day Committee, examining how mindful practices can guide ethical AI.

·       Zurich Robotics & AI Founders Summit

·       SDSC-Connect: Translating AI to Clinical Practice

·       AI+Environment Summit

·       GrüeziGoogle TechTalks: AI Innovation, featuring cutting-edge demos from Google engineers

 

This diverse agenda is designed to foster collaboration across sectors, encourage public participation, and showcase innovations that align technological progress with human values.

 

A Confluence of Global Leaders and Innovators

The stature of the Zurich AI Festival is reinforced by its organizers and partners:

 

·       Leading Initiators: The event is an initiative of the ETH AI Center and Greater Zurich Area Ltd., supported by the Canton of Zurich, Zurich Tourism, and other leading institutional and corporate partners. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) is Europe's premier STEM university, consistently ranked among the world's best. Its AI Center is at the forefront of foundational model research, helping position Switzerland as a global hub for trustworthy AI.

 

·      Influential Partners: The festival also features involvement from major industry players such as Google, Amazon, Meta, and IBM, alongside acclaimed academic and venture capital partners. A selection of their logos is shown below.

·       Worldwide Participation: It is expected to draw over 5,000 attendees from around the world, including researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and international media. On-site participation is nearly fully booked, with many more expected to join online.

 

 

Exploring the Synergy: AI + Mindfulness

Within this transformative setting, the World Meditation Day Committee is organizing one of the festival's most pioneering sessions: AI + Mindfulness

 

·       Theme: Can AI and Mindfulness Coexist to Enhance Human Awareness?

·       Time: October 1, 2025 (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM GMT+2)

·       Venue: ETH AI Center

This groundbreaking symposium convenes AI researchers, meditation teachers, neuroscientists, and social scientists for a deep dive into the relationship between machine intelligence and human well-being. It addresses a vital question: as AI permeates daily life, influencing attention and emotion, how can mindfulness preserve ethical clarity, emotional resilience, and meaningful human growth?

 

We invite you to join us on October 1st for a day of profound dialogue and discovery. Together, we can co-create a future where AI not only advances intelligence—but elevates human wisdom.

 

The World Meditation Day Committee: Continuing a Global Mission