Research indicates that empathy perceived as coming from humans is more impactful than empathy provided by AI. In nine studies involving over 6,000 participants, responses labeled as human were preferred over those identified as AI, despite being AI-generated. The studies differentiated three types of empathy: cognitive empathy, affecting understanding; emotional empathy, concerning shared feelings; and compassionate empathy, focusing on the desire to help others. This suggests that human connection remains vital for emotional support, even with the rise of AI tools in health and therapy contexts.
The new research demonstrates that even when empathy is AI-generated, individuals feel a stronger connection and support when they believe the source is human.
Three distinct types of empathy include cognitive empathy, emotional or affective empathy, and compassionate or motivational empathy, which informs our understanding of emotional support.
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