Virtual Companions and Artificial Empathy

Virtual companions are coming — new digital entities capable of interacting with humans in increasingly empathetic ways. From therapeutic chatbots and teaching robots to machines that keep company with the elderly or ill, these new forms of artificial intelligence are learning to recognize emotions and respond with appropriate empathy.

In this session, we’ll explore real-world examples and future scenarios that will reshape how we study, work, and connect emotionally in the years ahead. Artificial empathy and virtual companions are no longer science fiction — they are the next frontier of everyday life and will soon have a profound impact on all of us.