Social technologies have profoundly transformed how people communicate, form relationships, and experience social connection. This chapter synthesizes two decades of research on social media and messaging platforms to extract lessons for new forms of social technology, such as empathic artificial intelligence. We propose that prior attempts to identify universal effects of social technology on connection are largely uninformative due to substantial heterogeneity across studies. We highlight and briefly review three key sources of heterogeneity: (1) the type and features of the technology, (2) how it is used, and (3) who is using it. We recommend that future research explicitly consider these sources of heterogeneity to better understand how technological advances will affect social life – and how they can be better designed to promote connection.
Micaela Rodriguez, Matt Motyl, Juliana Schroeder· Cambridge University Press e...· 0 citations
As artificial intelligence chatbots offer increasingly sophisticated emotional support, society faces a profound question: can a machine truly empathize? Empathy and Artificial Intelligence provides the first comprehensive roadmap for this pivotal moment. Moving beyond simple binaries of 'hype' or 'doom,' this interdisciplinary volume unites leading psychologists, philosophers, and engineers to explore the tangled web of synthetic care. Key chapters investigate the 'AI Advantage' – where machines often outperform humans in perceived empathy – alongside the 'AI Penalty,' where discovering the artifice corrodes trust. The text navigates the distinct landscapes of text-based LLMs and embodied robots, addressing urgent ethical dilemmas and exploring whether reliance on AI risks the atrophy of our moral capacities or enables synthetic agents to scaffold stronger human relationships. Essential for researchers, students, and curious observers, this book investigates whether outsourcing our emotional labor saves us time, or costs us our humanity.
C. Daryl Cameron, Anat Perry, Shai Satran et al.· Cambridge University Press e...· 0 citations
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