AI empathy may shift humanness perceptions

New experiments show emotionally intelligent AI can shift how people judge real humans, subtly eroding respect for others.

Assimilation of AI emotion reshapes humanness and raises risk of dehumanization

Five experiments published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology examined both embodied AI like humanoid robots and disembodied AI such as chatbots. Participants watched footage of Atlas performing expressive dancing or a utilitarian parkour routine, then read scenarios about workplace changes that could harm employees. Those who watched the expressive robot tended to assign more mind to the AI and were more supportive of harsh, dehumanizing measures toward workers.

A second set of studies tested why the effect occurs. When AI capabilities were described as moderate, the dancing robot still led to greater dehumanization of people. But when the AI was framed as extremely capable, the effect reversed and people treated others as more human, suggesting a contrast effect kicks in when machines look clearly nonhuman. Other experiments focused on whether socio-emotional skills alone drive the result, finding that only emotional capacity in AI produced increased dehumanization, not high cognitive ability. Real-world tasks reinforced the pattern, with participants making choices that favored a company with poor worker conditions after being exposed to emotionally capable AI.

The research highlights a paradox at the heart of modern AI design: making machines seem empathetic can win user acceptance while quietly dulling our sense of shared humanity. If AI in customer service or healthcare appears to feel, people may treat real workers as less worthy of care. This matters not just for morale, but for hiring, wages, and public trust in technology. The findings also point to practical guardrails: avoid blurring the line between machine and human, emphasize practical limits of AI, and build ethical checks into frontline deployments. As AI becomes more embedded in daily life, designers and policymakers will need to balance usefulness with a clear commitment to human dignity.

Highlights

Guarding human dignity in an era of smart machines requires thoughtful design and vigilant oversight.