By Stuart Kerr, Technology Correspondent
Published: 01 August 2025
Last Updated: 01 August 2025
Contact: liveaiwire@gmail.com | Twitter: @LiveAIWire
Author Bio: About Stuart Kerr
Artificial intelligence is no longer just thinking — it’s feeling. Or at least, it’s getting scarily good at pretending to. From chatbots that know just when to sympathise to recommendation engines that prey on our moods, emotional manipulation is emerging as a powerful, often invisible force in the AI age. But how far is too far when code starts tugging at our hearts?
The Rise of Emotionally Intelligent AI
Emotional AI, or affective computing, was once a novelty. Today, it's central to user engagement in customer service bots, political messaging, and personalised mental health apps. These systems are now trained to interpret tone, facial expressions, and even pulse data to tailor their responses for maximum impact.
In a 2025 study published on ResearchGate, researchers found GPT‑4 could outperform humans in debate 64% of the time. Its success was driven not by better facts, but by its ability to match emotional tone with uncanny precision.
Emotional Prompting and the Disinformation Effect
Another arXiv study revealed that when LLMs like GPT-4 are given emotionally charged prompts — particularly polite or sympathetic ones — they are more likely to produce persuasive, and sometimes misleading, output. This raises concerns about emotional prompting as a subtle vector for misinformation.
The Guardian echoed this concern, reporting that AI-driven debaters, when primed with emotional cues, swayed human listeners more effectively than their flesh-and-blood counterparts.
Corporate Power and Emotional AI
In the corporate world, emotionally intelligent algorithms are increasingly used in hiring processes, staff evaluations, and boardroom decision-making. As explored in AI CEO: Company Governance by Algorithm, some startups are even letting AI systems weigh in on leadership decisions based on team sentiment and psychological metrics.
But critics argue this is a dangerous encroachment on human agency. If an AI can nudge a board to replace a CEO based on mood analytics, where does responsibility lie?
Algorithmic Empathy and Infrastructure
As emotional AI influences individual decision-making, it’s also quietly shaping collective infrastructure. In When AI Meets the Grid, LiveAIWire explored how algorithms optimise energy flow and network responses. Imagine a world where similar tech modulates entire populations’ emotional responses to news, events, or government policy.
This isn't science fiction. Governments and corporations alike are experimenting with emotional AI to influence public opinion. According to a Time Magazine investigation, advanced algorithms are already tailoring emotionally resonant content to steer behaviours, purchases — even ideologies.
The Risk of Synthetic Empathy
When AI mimics concern, it creates a veneer of care without the moral compass. Washington Post reporting suggests that persuasive AIs are already being trialled in political campaigns — with worrying success rates.
The question isn’t whether AI can manipulate emotions. It’s whether we’ll notice when it does — or care.
Invisible System Failure
As AI Systems and the Digital Strike Threat highlighted, when AI systems fail, they often do so silently. Emotional AI adds another layer of opacity. Manipulation becomes a feature, not a bug — and the effects are hard to trace, let alone regulate.
About the Author
Stuart Kerr is the Technology Correspondent for LiveAIWire. He writes about artificial intelligence, ethics, and how technology is reshaping everyday life. Read more