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August 2, 2025

The AI Empathy Choice Paradox: People Prefer Human Empathy Despite Rating AI Empathy Higher

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Authors

JWJoshua D WengerDCDaryl CameronMIMichael Inzlicht

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Overview

Research reveals a preference for human empathy despite higher ratings for AI expressions, suggesting implications for emotional support sources.

Key Points

  • Participants preferred human empathy over AI sources, choosing humans in about 60% of trials.
  • AI-generated empathetic responses were rated higher in quality and effectiveness at making users feel heard.
  • The study involved 691 participants and utilized a choice-based empathy selection paradigm to understand preferences.
  • Findings highlight the potential of AI in emotional support while respecting individual choices regarding empathy sources.

Cite This Study

Wenger et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/689a0c72e6551bb0af8d0387https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/ghw2v_v2
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