Technology has allowed for the transformation of how we give and receive empathy
Trend - The use of tech in enhancing the way empathy is given or received–whether via robots, virtual reality, apps, or websites–is on the rise. In an age where mental illness and empathetic care is being highlighted, these technologies enhance human relationships and give people the tools they require to effectively give and/or receive empathy.
Insight - People's complaints within healthcare and the workplace are often tied to empathy--particularly for visible minorities and women. To more and more people, empathy is an important first step that they want people in power to employ as they conduct both business and care for individuals, especially towards those who have long been under-served in existing power structures.
Insight - People's complaints within healthcare and the workplace are often tied to empathy--particularly for visible minorities and women. To more and more people, empathy is an important first step that they want people in power to employ as they conduct both business and care for individuals, especially towards those who have long been under-served in existing power structures.
Workshop Question - Where do you see the prioritization of empathy fitting into your brand's products, services, or processes?
Trend Themes
1. Tech-assisted Empathy - The increasing use of technology to enhance the way empathy is given or received is on the rise, through robots, virtual reality, apps, or websites.
2. Empathetic Robotics - Robots are being designed to offer helpful, empathetic assistance and companionship in a variety of scenarios.
3. Empathetic AI - AI chatbots are being developed with empathy to converse with humans longer, to better extract information from people and to be used in a wide range of applications from surveys to entertainment.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - Healthcare professionals can leverage technology to provide empathetic care to those who have long been underserved in existing power structures.
2. Automotive - Automakers like Honda are using AI to design robots that leverage robotic technologies to enhance human productivity and comfort.
3. Nonprofits & Social Activism - Virtual reality experiences like Planned Parenthood's 'Across the Line VR' elicit empathy, aiming to inspire positive change and greater understanding among diverse groups of people.
