Simcha Articles
A Big Idea We Can't Let Go Of
Published January 23, 2025 · 7:00 AM PT
Why joy, energy, and sustainable AI belong together.
In a world where AI is speeding everything up, this piece argues that the real frontier isn't more intelligence or productivity - it's human energy. Joy is framed not as a luxury, but as a kind of fuel that lets us listen, connect, and show up as better partners, friends, and colleagues.
The article explores how AI could act like an external support system for our nervous lives: helping us slow down, name what we're feeling, notice draining patterns, and return to simple rituals that restore us. The goal isn't to replace human relationships, but to give us enough inner space and steadiness to be more present in them.
There's also an honest look at the environmental cost of AI - energy, water, and infrastructure - and a call to design "emotional technology" that supports people without quietly harming the planet. That includes smaller, more efficient models, renewable-powered infrastructure, and on-device AI that uses fewer resources.
Three guiding questions
- How can AI help generate more human energy instead of draining it?
- What does emotionally supportive and environmentally sustainable technology look like?
- What happens if we measure success by joy and connection, not just output?
A small practice for this week
Once a day, pause and ask: "What tiny moment would give me energy right now?"
It might be stepping outside for half a minute, sending a warm text, drinking water slowly, looking at the sky, or putting your phone down for a single deep breath. The article's core claim is that small sparks of joy often are energy - and that energy is what makes us more human with each other.
About Simcha
We build joyful, private AI.
Simcha means joy. We help therapists and everyday caretakers capture the signals inside each conversation and return that energy to their work, families, and communities. HIPAA compliance, on-device processing, and no recordings stored by default are table stakes for us.
We're a small, distributed team across New York, California, and Toronto with backgrounds in care delivery, consumer apps, and privacy-first infrastructure. If you're building technology that protects care and amplifies calm, reach out through the contact link in the footer.