| | 8 DECEMBER 2018HIGHERReviewAutomobile, education, trav-el, entertainment, banking; industries are adapting to become smarter. But does becom-ing smarter have to do away with being empathic?Today, any technology must con-vincingly mimic empathy. But the question is, how does one distill some-thing as complex as empathy down to a formula that can be fed into a ma-chine? Albert Einstein once explained empathy as a sincere and patient affair to witness the world through some-one 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 a difference. It does pay off in the long run; to put a heart in a machine, enhance its emotional component to a higher lev-el. Look round. The society runs on empathic traits ­ humanity, altruism, and goodwill. You don't want to part away with such qualities within a hu-man being right? Similarly, AI should look forward to including such abili-ties within machines. Data suggests how mirror neurons coupled with mimetic theory enables empathy to be understood and explored as a nat-ural process. For AI to be trusted as a capable, emotionally intelligent machine fostering reactions and re-lationships, engineers and developers must focus on infusing machines with human consciousness. Only then, you will have a better designed digital as-sistant 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 DreamsToday, we stand at a crucial junc-ture where every single chance can uniquely transform our existence. AI is not just a technology but an entity that unravels unprecedented oppor-tunities for developers and engineers, contributing towards a better, clean-er, 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 with-in AI through trust and mutual benev-olence. 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 nega-tivity, conflict and isolation. The chal-lenge is to counteract the effects of the latter with the former. By Mohan Krishnaraj, Vice President and Global Head - User Experience, HARMAN International (A Samsung Company)EMPATHY - THE NEW HOPE FOR AN AI-DRIVEN WORLDToday, 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.IN MY VIEW
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