empathy /ˈɛmpəθi/ noun The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

In a world of taps, swipes, likes and shares, the ability to empathise with others remains a vital part of our daily lives. From comforting a friend, to sharing the pain of an unwell child, empathy is a vital skill that we develop through childhood.

Now, thanks to advancements in technology, we’re at a stage where we can think about the importance of empathy in machines. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an ever-increasing presence in our daily lives, whether it’s the voice assistant on your phone, or the complex algorithms used to fight diseases.

The way we design interactions with AI systems and the results they provide should be thoughtfully considered, and in the future, the responsibility for designing artificial empathy could fall under the remit of an empathologist – a job that has yet to exist.

We spent some time discussing the impact and importance of empathy in AI systems and the possible roles that an empathologist might one day play, with Michael Banissy, Professor and Head of Department in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Chris Edgar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Banissy Lab.

Their research investigates how people perceive, interpret and interact with others, offering a unique, academic perspective which goes beyond the pure technology field. We hope you find the below discussion insightful, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on @MSEurope.

The need for empathy

Empathy is a fundamental part of our lives. It contributes to collaboration and cooperation, and transcends cultures, social behaviours and wellbeing. According to Banissy, “Humans are social beings. If you really want to think about developing technology like AI, I think it’s crucial that empathy is involved to some degree.”

An AI system with the capacity for empathy could provide more natural interactions, while making judgements that take our mood or feelings into account. “Depending on the type of information you want technology to convey, how you want individuals to react to it, or how you predict they’re going to react to it, you’re going to need to understand their current state,” says Edgar. “In a way, their emotional state is going to give you some clue as to how they’re likely to respond.”