How accurate is AI at understanding my emotional state?
By Siri Bandagiriye · Better at reading words than reading people. AI can usually tell whether a message sounds anxious or low, but it can't see your face or know what you left out, and it gets things wrong. You are always the authority on how you feel.
Better at reading words than reading people. AI can usually tell whether a message sounds anxious, low or angry. It can't see your face, hear your silences in the same way, or know what you left out. It also gets things wrong.
A good companion app should treat its guesses as guesses. When Saati isn't sure, it asks rather than assumes.
And you are always the authority on how you feel.
What the research says
On five standard emotional intelligence tests, six AI language models averaged 81% accuracy, compared with a 56% human average from the tests' original validation studies.1
Those were written tests, not real conversations. The APA notes most chatbots process mainly text or speech and can miss body language, tone and facial expression.2
Written by Siri Bandagiriye
I've been a Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher for 30 years, and for six years a chaplain with Correctional Service Canada, sitting with people in crisis. I built Saati in Halifax as a companion for the ordinary hard days. If you'd like to see what it's like, it's free to try.