Current AI can reliably detect and simulate emotions from voice, text, and video, but there is no evidence it “feels” them; progress is heading toward better recognition, context, and regulation of responses, not toward subjective experience. What “understanding” means What AI already does well Where models still fall short Emerging frontiers Ethics and design guardrails … Read more
AI is inserting itself into the spaces where people seek understanding and support—simulating empathy in chats, companionship apps, tutoring, and caregiving—which can ease loneliness and improve access to help, but also risks dependency and “pseudo‑intimacy” if it substitutes for real reciprocity. New kinds of bonds Benefits when used well The risks beneath the comfort How … Read more
AI needs emotional intelligence to be useful, safe, and trusted wherever humans are stressed, ill, confused, or vulnerable—systems that can detect and respond to emotion reduce friction, improve adherence, and de‑escalate crises, but they must simulate empathy transparently and avoid replacing real relationships. What emotional AI is (and isn’t) Where EI makes AI measurably better … Read more