Emotional intelligence is being increasingly recognised as an important component in the modern workplace. In addition to being intelligent and knowledgeable, 90% of top performers also score highly for emotional intelligence. Even better, while your IQ may be stuck where it is, EQ can be improved through intentional practise and training. A study from Motorola found that its employees were 93% more productive after undergoing stress management and EQ training.

Emotional intelligence influences an employee’s relationship with their colleagues, the decisions they make that affect their team, and the constructive feedback that they provide for others. Emphasising the importance of emotional intelligence can help improve toxic work environments, encourage collaboration, reduce turnover, and increase output. When it comes to improving your work environment as a whole, there’s no question that emphasising emotional intelligence offers a variety of benefits. Luckily, there has been a recent movement to not only increase this factor for humans, but our artificial counterparts as well.

What could emotionally intelligent AI be used for?

Currently, many AI services, like ChatGPT, are being used to automate and speed up tedious tasks like drafting emails and summarising large quantities of information. When we think of AI in the workplace, we often imagine these services taking over the boring, monotonous tasks that fill up our time so that we can focus on the more creative or human-centred aspects of our jobs. Careers that involve working with people directly are often thought to be more or less “AI-proof,” given that it’s still difficult for robots to take over non-digital jobs like making coffee or cutting hair.

However, as the capabilities of artificial intelligence continue to advance and expand faster than ever, so too will its ability to take over the more human aspects of our jobs. Ironically, one of the most prominent examples of this is in the field of human resources and recruiting. A 2022 survey from the Society of Human Resources Management found that 79% of employers use A.I. and/or automation for recruitment and hiring, with the most frequent usage being to help review resumes.

Emotionally intelligent AI can also be used to review virtual interviews and help hiring managers make better judgements. As an added benefit, the more emotionally intelligent AI becomes, the less it will have to rely on biased hiring decisions from the past to inform its decisions, meaning AI could also be used to help remove negative human aspects, like sexism and racism, from the hiring process.

In the coming years, you may start to notice that your virtual assistants, like Siri and Alexa, will begin sounding less robot-like and more like a real assistant as well. Instead of simply providing answers to questions and playing rap music when it hears the phrase “play rap music,” virtual assistants will soon be able to recognise different tones and adjust their responses accordingly.

Brands will also be able to take advantage of this technology by investing in emotionally intelligent chatbots. After using the company’s social posts and customer reviews to “train,” the AI can then help customers solve issues and adjust its responses if it senses a customer seems particularly confused or upset. Using emotionally intelligent AI will help brands streamline and automate a lot of their marketing efforts while also keeping the human aspect.

The potential drawbacks of using emotionally intelligent AI

As with every instance of incorporating AI into a field or sector where it was not previously utilised, strong precaution should always be taken. Creating an AI that is even more human-like will come with many foreseen and unforeseen challenges.

Just like human beings, even the most well-coded AI will still struggle to accurately identify the emotions of others. Additionally, emotional reactions can differ across continents and cultures, and while these contextual situations may be easier for humans to understand, a robot may find it virtually impossible. Human interactions are deeply nuanced and not always easily categorised, so naturally, AI will struggle with it.

To train an AI and increase its emotional intelligence, it needs to be exposed to as much information as possible. This raises another issue: privacy concerns. An AI that needs to essentially “sit in” on job interviews or counselling sessions to improve its abilities might not sit well with many people. It’s hard to blame anyone for wanting their personal information to be utilised by a tech company, and the issue of what exactly will be done with our private information raises a whole host of additional concerns.

On the other hand, there could be potential cause for concern for people who embrace emotionally intelligent AI too readily. A person who relies on an AI that knows exactly what to say and is essentially always there for them may find themselves becoming more and more distant with the real people in their lives. When technology already fulfils so many of our wants and needs, the idea of a robot replacing our real-life relationships is a little chilling.

At the end of the day, we are also human beings who sometimes just want to interact with other human beings. As advanced and helpful as AI becomes, there will always be people who simply want to speak with a real customer service representative instead of a recording.

Even if an AI is emotionally intelligent, should it really be the one to deliver bad news about a patient to their family? Do we want emotionally intelligent robots handling delicate, emotionally charged situations? While AI will assist and replace many parts of our jobs and daily routines, there are some things that will always need to be done by people.