For the longest time, science fiction movies, stories, and novels often depict robots as machines with monotonic speech, sans any variations in tone and volume. While they may have simulated human intelligence, these droids are devoid of human emotions, making it easier to tell the difference between robots and humans.
That was a thing in the past, though, as today AI now transcends exhibiting traits of human minds, such as learning and problem-solving. Today, developers are also building AI that feels and predicts behavior, making AI more relatable to humans. Don’t be surprised, if you walk into a store one day with a saddened face, and the robot assistant gives you your personal time and assists other customers instead. Or else, you walk into your home with a huge smile and your smart speaker plays good vibes music, giving that emotional support.
If that sounds good for you, read on below as we’ll delve into emotional AI deeper, see how it can be applied to improve human lives, and what awaits us with this technology in the future.
What is Emotional AI?
Emotional AI is a technology that is capable of detecting, interpreting, and understanding human emotions through the use of cues from the individual’s voice and facial expressions. It immediately responds appropriately to both the verbal and nonverbal emotive avenues of human communication. By adding such technology to it makes interaction with artificial intelligence feel more natural than ever before and improves the many ways machines integrate into our way of living.
The Potential Use of Emotional AI
Though far from perfect and with extensive works and research still in process, developers around the globe have already made significant breakthroughs that can help humans in a variety of fields and purposes.
For instance, we’ve seen how artificial intelligence makes the road safer for humans, with technologies like park-assist programs, warning features, and automated braking systems.
With the incorporation of AI, it can be possible for cars to monitor drivers using voice and facial analysis and assess whether there are signs of fatigue or distraction. Thus, offering them possible solutions like finding a nearby safe place to rest or alerting them about the nuisance.
Medicine will also massively benefit from emotional AI. Using this technology, systems can detect signs of anxiety, stress, and other medically important emotional levels, which can help facilitate better treatment quality. Suicidal tendencies may also be detected using emotional AI programs. Thus, quickly alerting authorities and responders, preventing suicides, and saving lives.
Meanwhile, the recruitment industry may also have a faster time screening and evaluating their applicants. Emotional AI systems may help assess the facial expression, voice, intonations, volume, and tone of their applicants. Giving them some valuable data like whether the interviewees are nervous, truthful, or are genuinely interested in the job.
As emotions are highly valuable to customer experience, the use of emotional AI can also become a fad to many companies. Remember that consumers with positive emotional linkages to a brand have better trust and loyalty, rather than those whose associations turned to be negative. As such, companies can devise systems that surpass mere artificial intelligence. They can develop ones that can emotionally connect to their consumers while conveying their brand, commitment, and goals in the process for a better customer journey.
Debates about the Use of Emotional AI
Despite such benefits, many people raise their eyebrows towards emotional AI. While the rise of artificial intelligence is feared to take the jobs of humans, concerns on emotional AI, on the other hand, revolve around moral and ethical standpoints. Is giving machines the power to understand how humans feel morally or ethically sound?
The question has no definitive answer as views may vary from one person to another. What’s certain is that we’ve seen the numerous advantages of artificial intelligence with the smartphone, appliances, gadgets, cars, and industries people have today. By letting machines become emotionally aware and make more appropriate decisions on how their users feel, it can spell a lot of difference, offer unlimited helpful applications and give the technology and human connection a better “emotional” landscape.