We have seen examples of AI that can write, make music and solve complex problems. But can a computer understand human emotions?
That’s what the researchers behind a project at Stockholm University believe, which through recorded collaboration exercises and therapy sessions is developing an AI system that can analyze emotions.
Can help therapists
The main focus of research is now on therapy.
– We believe that this should be able to help therapists provide a better treatment and be able to avoid that people drop out of the treatment or that a treatment lasts unnecessarily long, says Lennart Höglund, lecturer at the university’s psychology department.
The tool should act as an assistant to the therapist and provide information on how the social interaction develops – which is a key to bringing about change.
Risk of the AI being used for the wrong purposes
The researchers also see other areas of use for the tool, such as recruitment for social professions. There, recorded conversations could provide information about social competence and empathic ability.
– It can be about any situation where interpersonal interaction is critical in order to achieve a good result, says Lennart Höglund.
The AI system is being developed in collaboration with the company Empatik AI and the idea is for it to go on the market. There, Lennart Höglund sees risks that the tool could be used for destructive purposes.
– It could, for example, be used in a negotiation situation where someone is usurping advantages in a bad way. We really want to advocate openness about the use and there must be no doubt about who uses it and when, he says.
Watch when SVT’s reporter tests the tool during a job interview in the video above.