It is no news that machines have come to largely replace physical labor and computers surpass human beings in processing data. But in the future, the development of artificial intelligence may render humans obsolete even in the realm of emotional intelligence, according to Yuval Harari.



“It is true that in one sense, AI doesn’t even come close to human emotion since it has no consciousness or mind and doesn’t feel anything,” said Harari at Tuesday’s opening ceremony of the 2030 Eco Forum, organized by Green Fund and held at the Korea Press Center. Harari is a history professor and author of the international bestseller “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.”



Yet, AI may excel at detecting the emotional needs of human beings and reacting appropriately to them, Harari said.



“What biology tells us today is that emotions are not some spiritual experience, but the outcome of biochemical processes in the body.



“AI today is able to diagnose your personality and emotional state by looking at your face and recognizing tiny muscle movements. It can tell whether you are tired, excited, angry, joyful, in love ... it can tell these things even though AI itself doesn’t feel anger or love.”



In the future, therefore, AI could “drive humans out of the job market and make many humans completely useless, from an economic perspective” in areas where human interaction was previously considered crucial, Harari said.



“In customer services departments they have started using AI to assess the emotions of people who are calling,” he said. “AI analyzes the tone of your voice and choice of words ... and recognizes both your personality type and also your immediate emotional condition.”



According to Harari, while humans are capable of displaying their own emotions, they are often less competent at reacting to the emotional needs of their fellow beings.





Yuval Harari, author of “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” speaks at the Korea Press Center on Tuesday (Yonhap)