Does AI Lack Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions—is a defining human trait. It enhances our self-awareness, deepens our empathy, strengthens communication, and helps us navigate conflict and connection with others. Crucially, it also allows us to perceive and respond to the emotional needs of those around us.

For marketers, emotional intelligence is more than just a soft skill—it’s a strategic asset. Campaigns that speak to people’s emotions resonate more deeply and drive stronger engagement than those focused solely on features or financial benefits. Emotions, after all, are far more influential in purchasing decisions than logic or cost savings.

But creating emotionally resonant messaging isn’t easy. It must be authentic and believable. Anything that feels forced or disingenuous will quickly fall flat. Consider the iconic Dove soap campaign featuring real women. By championing positive body image, the brand connected on a deeply emotional level—something no list of product features could achieve on its own.

This raises a timely question: how well does generative AI handle emotional intelligence?

Right now, this is one of AI’s biggest blind spots. While large language models can detect emotional cues and adjust tone when prompted, this doesn’t come naturally or consistently. The technology can generate words that sound empathetic, but it doesn’t feel them. There’s no real understanding behind the output—only a pattern of probabilities based on past data.

Interestingly, “therapy and companionship” has emerged as a top use case for AI. Many people now turn to AI for emotional support, especially when human connection is absent. But this trend is more a reflection of societal gaps than technological triumph. The rise of AI companionship suggests that many communities and workplaces are failing to meet emotional needs in meaningful, human ways.

At its core, AI lacks the lived experience that shapes true empathy. It can mimic conversation, mirror tone, and analyze sentiment, but it cannot genuinely connect. Emotional intelligence arises from being human—from the messiness, vulnerability, and nuance that define real relationships.

So, will AI ever truly develop emotional intelligence?

Personally, I hope not. Let machines excel at what they do best—processing, scaling, and automating—and leave the emotional depth, connection, and care to us humans.