AI, EQ & Communication News — 2026-10-13 (Tue)

Overview

Coverage in the past 48 hours centered on people handing emotional work to AI, reflections on ChatGPT and human connection, and AI role-play tools for practicing leadership and sales conversations. In Japan, a lecture on emotional labor and decision-making in the AI era and a program about tracking emotions with AI were reported (The Atlantic, Oman Observer, openPR.com, Asahi Shimbun, Natalie).

Emotion-reading AI

- The Atlantic published a piece titled "The People Who Outsource Emotional Labor to AI," about people who hand emotional labor to AI (The Atlantic). 【AI empathy and emotional intelligence】 No notable developments. 【Human EQ and skills in the AI era】 No notable developments. 【Changes in conversation and relationships】 - Oman Observer ran a piece titled "Reflections on ChatGPT and human connection," which reflects on ChatGPT and human connection (Oman Observer). 【AI-written and AI-spoken language】 No notable developments.

Speaking practice and coaching

- Lovering & Partners has added AI role-play for leadership, sales and influence skills with LeaderCoreAI (openPR.com).

Research and surveys

No notable developments. 【EQ, communication and AI in Japan】 - Sooup Consulting held a 10th-anniversary lecture at which Professor Akihide Iriyama spoke on emotional labor and decision-making in the AI era; the report appeared in Asahi Shimbun (Asahi Shimbun). - The comedians Magical Lovely and Hikoroji appear in "Planet of Emotions: Tracking the World's Hearts with AI" (Natalie).

Remarks by key figures

No notable developments. 【Integrated analysis: what is happening】 The headlines share one theme: emotional labor, meaning the work of managing feelings in communication, is being discussed as something that can be delegated to AI. The Atlantic's piece on people who outsource it, the Japanese lecture on emotional labor and decision-making in the AI era, and the role-play tool for influence skills all treat emotional work as a domain where AI now plays a part (The Atlantic, Asahi Shimbun, openPR.com). This suggests the question is shifting from whether AI can handle emotional tasks to which of them people choose to hand over and which they keep. The headlines alone do not show how widespread the practice is or what effects it has, so these readings remain inference.

What to watch

- Whether further coverage or research clarifies what kinds of emotional labor people are handing to AI, which is likely to show how widespread the practice is. - Whether AI role-play for leadership and sales skills spreads to other providers, which may indicate how fast AI-based practice of communication skills is being adopted. - Whether the Japanese discussion of emotional labor and decision-making in the AI era continues in further lectures and programs.