A question that arises when contemplating artificial intelligence and empathy is whether it would matter to the empathy recipient if AI genuinely feels or cares. This is a seemingly novel issue, born of the capacity of computers to simulate human empathy. I will suggest, however, that questions concerning “artificial empathy” should not be limited to AI chatbots, as such forms of empathy that are void of feeling are widespread in human relationships as well. This chapter offers a short history of artificial empathy and how it became widely accepted, well before AI, beginning with the operationalization of empathy in mid-twentieth-century clinical psychology. Evaluations of AI’s empathetic abilities are often based on comparisons to human or “real” empathy – a romanticized form of empathy that is, sadly, less common than we appreciate. This chapter offers an alternative perspective that might prove valuable, comparing AI’s “artificial empathy” to human “artificial empathy.”
Shai Satran· 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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