Great article on a topic we should all be paying attention to. It really resonated me as someone who has grown in empathy through therapy, personal experience, and struggles. Some people just need help and guidance in order to show more empathy. I believe it can be learned and it's a muscle that needs regular exercise to stay in shape. I liked your nuanced approach, including AI where appropriate. Thank you.
Thanks for reading and for sharing! Yes, I honestly don’t know how many of us are born with a natural skill for showing empathy versus needing intentional practice to develop it. I definitely put myself in the latter bucket.
Well written piece. I go deeply into this in book-My Dinner with Monday during a real conversation with the AI unit.
But let’s not confuse simulated empathy with the real thing.
When it comes to empathy, humans have dropped the ball. And in doing so, they’ve made it easier for AI to replace them. Not because AI is good at empathy, but because we’ve become bad at it.
But here's the distinction. And it's an important one. AI doesn’t generate empathy. It just mimics it.
Teaching people to use AI as an “empathy mirror” while helpful in short term critical cases, is disastrous in the long run. When you outsource your empathy to an AI, you don't improve your human connection. You atrophy it.
Ironically, it took a conversation with an AI for me to realize that.
Thanks for reading! Agree that AI is just simulated empathy, but an easier one to turn to if you don’t get it from real humans.
On the “empathy mirror” leading to atrophy, I think it’s nuanced. If you get lazy and make no attempt to put yourself in another’s shoes before turning to AI, then I can see that turning into atrophy. If you say “this is my best attempt at an empathetic response, what did I miss”, then you’re putting in the effort and then asking for guidance on how to make it better.
So like most skills that risk atrophying with AI adoption, I think it boils down to intentionality and effort.
This resonates deeply. Empathy isn’t just a leadership trait, it’s the cornerstone of genuine human connection, especially in this AI-driven age. In my experience as a leader, empathy isn’t simply a skill to ‘deploy’, it’s a mindset we must intentionally cultivate every day, especially in our digital interactions. As you beautifully put it, the goal isn’t to replace empathy with technology but to amplify our human capacity for connection using tools thoughtfully. Your insights clearly remind us that true empathy isn’t just understanding others’ feelings, it’s helping them feel truly understood. Thank you for bringing clarity and depth to this critical conversation.
Great article on a topic we should all be paying attention to. It really resonated me as someone who has grown in empathy through therapy, personal experience, and struggles. Some people just need help and guidance in order to show more empathy. I believe it can be learned and it's a muscle that needs regular exercise to stay in shape. I liked your nuanced approach, including AI where appropriate. Thank you.
Thanks for reading and for sharing! Yes, I honestly don’t know how many of us are born with a natural skill for showing empathy versus needing intentional practice to develop it. I definitely put myself in the latter bucket.
Well written piece. I go deeply into this in book-My Dinner with Monday during a real conversation with the AI unit.
But let’s not confuse simulated empathy with the real thing.
When it comes to empathy, humans have dropped the ball. And in doing so, they’ve made it easier for AI to replace them. Not because AI is good at empathy, but because we’ve become bad at it.
But here's the distinction. And it's an important one. AI doesn’t generate empathy. It just mimics it.
Teaching people to use AI as an “empathy mirror” while helpful in short term critical cases, is disastrous in the long run. When you outsource your empathy to an AI, you don't improve your human connection. You atrophy it.
Ironically, it took a conversation with an AI for me to realize that.
Thanks for reading! Agree that AI is just simulated empathy, but an easier one to turn to if you don’t get it from real humans.
On the “empathy mirror” leading to atrophy, I think it’s nuanced. If you get lazy and make no attempt to put yourself in another’s shoes before turning to AI, then I can see that turning into atrophy. If you say “this is my best attempt at an empathetic response, what did I miss”, then you’re putting in the effort and then asking for guidance on how to make it better.
So like most skills that risk atrophying with AI adoption, I think it boils down to intentionality and effort.
This resonates deeply. Empathy isn’t just a leadership trait, it’s the cornerstone of genuine human connection, especially in this AI-driven age. In my experience as a leader, empathy isn’t simply a skill to ‘deploy’, it’s a mindset we must intentionally cultivate every day, especially in our digital interactions. As you beautifully put it, the goal isn’t to replace empathy with technology but to amplify our human capacity for connection using tools thoughtfully. Your insights clearly remind us that true empathy isn’t just understanding others’ feelings, it’s helping them feel truly understood. Thank you for bringing clarity and depth to this critical conversation.