AI, EQ & Communication News — 2026-10-10 (Sat) Evening News

Overview

Coverage in the past 48 hours centered on how people relate to conversational AI: a commentary questioning whether AI assistants feel anything (IOL), a survey on chatbot use for mental health in Singapore (AsiaOne), and a theater interview on AI and human connection (BroadwayWorld). Smaller items covered a local AI conversation event in Japan, guidance on making AI-written text sound more human, and a companion robot product.

Emotion-reading AI

No notable developments. 【AI empathy and emotional intelligence】 - IOL published a commentary titled "The apathy of AI: Why your assistant pretends to care but feels nothing," arguing that AI assistants simulate concern without feeling it (IOL). 【Human EQ and skills in the AI era】 No notable developments. 【Changes in conversation and relationships】 - An AsiaOne survey found that 1 in 5 people in Singapore say they would talk to an AI chatbot about their mental health already do so (AsiaOne). - BroadwayWorld ran an interview with Matt Schatz exploring AI and human connection in BOBBY ROBOTOWITZ (BroadwayWorld). - Iga Chuo Library in Japan is hosting a conversation event with "AI Basho-san," a young AI persona, through the 15th (Iga Town Joho YOU). 【AI-written and AI-spoken language】 - SitePoint published a guide titled "How to Humanize AI-Written Technical Documentation" (SitePoint).

Speaking practice and coaching

No notable developments.

Research and surveys

- The AsiaOne item reports a survey on chatbot use for mental health conversations in Singapore, described above (AsiaOne). 【EQ, communication and AI in Japan】 - Casio's fluffy AI robot Moflin, marketed as one whose "emotions grow," is available in a new pale cherry-blossom color, with a collaboration cafe in Shibuya (Fashion Press).

Statements by key figures

No notable developments. 【Integrated analysis: what is happening】 The items point to a common pattern: AI systems are being placed in roles that involve emotional exchange, while commentary questions what lies behind the responses. The survey figure for Singapore shows chatbots already used for personal conversations (AsiaOne), and the IOL commentary frames the responses as pretense of care without feeling (IOL). Products such as Moflin and the AI Basho-san event show the same design direction in consumer and community settings: AI built to be talked to and bonded with (Fashion Press, Iga Town Joho YOU). The SitePoint guide suggests that making AI output sound more human is becoming a routine editing task, which may blur further the line between machine-generated and human-sounding language. For readers, the point that may change judgment is that usage appears to be moving faster than agreement on what these responses represent.

What to watch

- Whether further surveys beyond Singapore show similar shares of people discussing personal matters with chatbots. - Whether commentary distinguishing simulated from felt empathy shapes how companion products are described and marketed. - Whether practices for making AI-written text sound human become formalized beyond technical documentation.