Automobile, education, travel, entertainment, banking; industries are adapting to become smarter. But does becoming smarter have to do away with Automobile, education, travel, entertainment, banking; industries are adapting to become smarter. But does becoming smarter have to do away with being empathic being empathic?

Today, any technology must convincingly mimic empathy. But the question is, how does one distill something as complex as empathy down to a formula that can be fed into a machine? Albert Einstein once explained empathy as a sincere and patient affair to witness the world through someone else's eyes; something that one cultivates over his lifetime. In an era dominant with narcissist traits, band of selfie lovers expressing their needs and wants aloud, empathy and inclusivity can only claim to make Automobile, education, travel, entertainment, banking; industries are adapting to become smarter. But does becoming smarter have to do away with being empathic?a difference.

"Today, the manner in which we connect has given way to anonymity allowing people to say whatever they like, whenever they want, no matter how brute and cruel it may sound."

It does pay off in the long run; to put a heart in a machine, enhance its emotional component to a higher level. Look round. The society runs on empathic traits humanity, altruism, and goodwill. You don't want to part away with such qualities within a human being right? Similarly, AI should look forward to including such abilities within machines. Data suggests how mirror neurons coupled with mimetic theory enables empathy to be understood and explored as a natural process. For AI to be trusted as a capable, emotionally intelligent machine fostering reactions and relationships, engineers and developers must focus on infusing machines with human consciousness. Only then, you will have a better designed digital assistant in the future whose response won't begin with, "Here's what I found on the Internet" given any topic or subject.

A Future that is Akin to Your Dreams

Today, we stand at a crucial juncture where every single chance can uniquely transform our existence. AI is not just a technology but an entity that unravels unprecedented opportunities for developers and engineers, contributing towards a better, cleaner, safer, diversified, empathic and sustainable habitat for one and all.

The real talent lies in cracking the code of empathy, the zeal to overcome fear in imparting emotional trait within AI through trust and mutual benevolence. AI is now being looked upon as a key factor in effectively influencing people and how they communicate. AI only has the power to toss the compass in both directions, towards positivity, connectivity and also increased negativity, conflict and isolation. The challenge is to counteract the effects of the latter with the former.

Mohan Krishnaraj

An advocate for user-centric design with over two decades of experience in the industry, Mohan has a proven track record of enabling UX-led business transformations for blue chip companies including Capital One, US Bank, Walmart, Tesco, GE, Airbus and Sony. He is currently the Vice President and Global Head of User Experience at HARMAN. In that capacity, Mohan's team was named "Agency of The Year ­ Design and Technology," ranked a leader in Experience Engineering by analysts, and won several other accolades by building a USP with a blend of design and technology. With his learning from leading universities like Harvard, he is continuously seeking opportunities to bring strategy & innovation best practices to businesses, services and organization structures globally. He has mobilized teams across domains and geographies, integrating data, design and engineering to deliver seamless customer experiences.