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One strand of the ‘next-generation’ of AI applications can be described as ‘automated empathy’ systems. These use AI to respond appropriately to perceived human emotions and human psychology.

But with such developments come a whole host of ethical and practical questions. Will AI understand subtle cultural, racial or gender differences? How are we to ensure that individual’s needs receive an appropriate response? How can we ensure that ‘AI partners’ are programmed to serve our interests rather than someone else’s? Is current law doing a good enough job of protecting society and allowing us to enjoy the benefits of new technologies?

A research project led by Andrew McStay, Professor of Technology & Society at ��������ϲʿ������ is dedicated to critically understanding the implications of human-AI partnering and to developing technical standards and global governance of emulated empathy and human-AI partnering.

Professor McStay who leads the UK’s Emotional AI Lab, has a longstanding shared research portfolio with counterparts in Japan, where automated personal assistants and ‘social robotics’ have been of interest. The Emotional AI Lab also has a partnership with Japan’s National Institute of Informatics.