Once more, with feeling

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Obviously, AI cannot feel emotion.  But it can make us feel emotions. 

Think about your experience with chatbots.  Yes, “frustration” is one unintended emotion that can emerge from those sometimes maddening experiences.  But there can be positive emotions, as well. A new WARC article discusses which emotional experiences chatbots are well-suited for – and which ones they are less appropriate for. 

AI chatbots seem less likely to generate excitement and fun than human interactions.  They also aren’t very good at feelings of safety or caring.  So, if you’re a brand that wants to give consumers a sense of order and a feeling that everything is OK, you probably need to lean into human interactions.

However, this research suggests chatbots are better than humans at generating feelings of freedom and adventure, and also providing a sense of strength.  Now, perhaps some of the freedom and adventure come from the novelty aspect of using a chatbot, which is still a relatively new experience for most people.  But one can imagine how it is more than just that. With a chatbot, you are not relying on another person to solve a problem or complete a task, after all – you’re doing it yourself.

You can create a best-of-both-worlds scenario, too.  The article cites one company that told consumers waiting on hold, “The remaining waiting time is seven minutes and there are four people in front of you, but you can also talk to our bot without losing your place in the queue.”  We often hear a line like, “Your wait is greater than 10 minutes. Would you like to hang up and use our automated chat instead?”  No one does that.  But assuring consumers they won’t lose their spot in line gives a feeling of assurance while letting them take the AI for spin at no risk.

The topic of how AI creates emotional experiences hasn’t been studied much, but it is one that will be ripe for future investigation as AI becomes more commonplace in our lives.