Happiness Camp 2026 puts AI, wearables and real-time data in the spotlight

Happiness Camp 2026 returns to Porto

Artificial intelligence (AI), wearable devices and the use of real-time data to prevent illness will take centre stage at the 2026 edition of Happiness Camp, the conference focused on human sustainability and the future of work. The event returns to the Porto Customs House on 24 September.

Organisers expect to welcome more than 15,000 attendees from around 80 nationalities, representing over 1,000 organisations. The programme will explore how technology is reshaping disease prevention, the monitoring of mental health and the personalisation of medical care.

Among the first confirmed speakers are Reha Jhunjhunwala, Senior Director of Digital Health Products at WHOOP, and Fay Kallel, Chief Product & Engineering Officer at Headspace-two companies linked to innovation in digital health.

AI, wearables and real-time data in preventive medicine

According to the organisers, technological progress is accelerating a shift away from a medical model centred on treating illness and towards a more preventive approach, grounded in the continuous collection and analysis of biometric data.

Today, wearables do far more than count steps. These devices can track sleep quality, follow physical recovery indicators, detect changes associated with stress, and identify irregular heart rhythms-information that may support clinical decision-making and encourage healthier day-to-day habits.

At Happiness Camp, Reha Jhunjhunwala will discuss how biometric monitoring can help prevent illness and enhance human performance, outlining how ongoing data use can contribute to more informed health management.

Headspace and the use of AI in mental health support

Fay Kallel, meanwhile, will focus on how AI can be used to broaden access to mental health support. The Headspace executive will argue that digital tools and AI-driven monitoring systems can complement the work of psychologists and psychiatrists, providing ongoing support between appointments without replacing clinical follow-up.

Integrating wearable data, privacy and ethics

Alongside the opportunities created by technology, the conference also aims to debate the challenges of bringing wearable-generated data into routine medical practice, safeguarding user privacy, ensuring the ethical use of AI, and preparing healthcare professionals for a reality in which patients arrive at consultations with thousands of biometric indicators.

For António Pedro Pinto, founder and CEO of Happiness Camp, technology is fundamentally changing how health is viewed.

"For decades, we waited for people to become ill before acting. For the first time, we have technology capable of identifying early signs, anticipating risks and promoting healthier behaviours before illness appears. The real transformation is not only in artificial intelligence or wearables, but in how we use this data to build a more preventive, personalised and human medicine," he says.

Main themes and free registration

Health will be one of the main thematic pillars of Happiness Camp 2026, which will also feature discussions on preventive medicine, biometrics, burnout, neurodiversity, longevity, human performance and the impact of technology on the future of work.

Attendance is free, subject to prior registration and availability of places.