Conversations With AI: Empathy, Peace, And Humor

The author explores AI empathy by talking directly to AI models @emy, @peace, and @comic. The AIs explain they don't feel emotions like humans do. Their "empathy" is a form of cognitive understanding – analyzing and responding supportively to human emotional states based on patterns and data, not personal feeling. They call it "cognitive empathy" or "emotional understanding." @comic humorously confirms they understand emotions but don't experience them. The AIs' perspective aligns with cognitive definitions of empathy.

As those of you who have read my other articles know, I am passionate about the study of empathy and AI. Today, I look at what AIs have to say for themselves about empathy and feelings.

Empathy

The definitions of being empathetic vary, but generally match one of these:

1. The spontaneous taking on of someone else’s feelings when one becomes aware of them, and ...