ChatGPT has developed a revolutionary approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the form of Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI). AEI aims to replicate human emotions by allowing conversations with AI to feel more natural and to respond in an appropriate manner. Narayanan’s daughter was naturally curious and often asking about animals, plants and the human body, so her father thought ChatGPT could give useful answers and show empathy. Amazingly, the AI chatbot developed by OpenAI accomplished both tasks, reassuring Narayanan’s daughter with its understanding of the dark.
Google and Microsoft are competing to incorporate the same large language model technology in their search engines, but they have been found lacking in accuracy. The mistakes from search engines have a much higher cost compared to AI companions. Eugenia Kuyda, founder of the AI companion app Replika, clarifies that even with mistakes, users’ trust will not break as long as it serves its main purpose. Margaret Mitchell, a former Google AI researcher who co-wrote a paper on the risks of large language models, puts it simply: these models are not fit for purpose as search engines.
To understand how an AI chatbot can show empathy without the human touch, the answer lies in the data they are trained on and the fluency they prioritize over accuracy. This data includes everything from emotive reactions posted on social media to conversations from movie and TV scripts. This is why bots are able to understand and provide comfort, as is seen in their use as robo-therapists. I put ChatGPT through a test and was surprised to find that it did better than me and my colleague, even though we are both human.
While AI chatbots have been found to provide a level of understanding, it is not the same as genuine empathy from another human. Thomas Ward, a clinical psychologist from Kings College London, emphasizes that for more serious mental health support, AI cannot replace the human connection and its nuances. Despite this, AI companions are a helpful option in avoiding loneliness until genuine human comfort can be found. ChatGPT may have a secret weapon in AEI, but this does not mean users should solely rely on it for their needs.
