AI, EQ & Communication News — 2026-10-24 (Sat)

Overview

Four headlines moved in the past 48 hours: a think-tank piece on AI that mimics empathy and intimacy, a summit on soft skills in AI-driven workplaces, an AI narration update to a presentation product, and a feature addition to a Japanese generative AI dialogue-training tool. (Social Market Foundation, Providence Business News, PR TIMES, ASCII.jp)

AI that reads emotion

No notable developments. 【AI empathy and emotional intelligence】 - The Social Market Foundation published "The Imitation Game: The opportunities and costs of AI that can convincingly mimic human empathy and intimacy." The headline presents both opportunities and costs of such AI. (Social Market Foundation) 【Human EQ and strengths in the AI era】 - A Providence Business News summit report carries the headline "PBN summit: Soft skills key in AI-driven workplace." (Providence Business News) - J-Stream added an "expressiveness-priority mode" to the AI narration of its "EQ Presentation Cloud." (PR TIMES) 【Changes in conversation and relationships】 No notable developments.

Words AI writes and speaks

- J-Stream's AI narration for "EQ Presentation Cloud" gained an "expressiveness-priority mode." The headline does not say how the mode works. (PR TIMES)

Speaking practice and coaching

- "AI Plus Talk," a generative AI dialogue-skills training and interview-support tool, now includes a "scenario creation support function" that generates content automatically. (ASCII.jp)

Research and surveys

No notable developments. 【EQ, communication and AI in Japan】 - "AI Plus Talk," a generative AI dialogue-skills training and interview-support tool, added a "scenario creation support function" that generates content automatically. (ASCII.jp) - J-Stream added an "expressiveness-priority mode" to the AI narration of "EQ Presentation Cloud." (PR TIMES)

Statements from key figures

No notable developments. 【Integrated analysis: what is happening】 Each headline concerns a different layer of communication. One covers AI that can convincingly mimic empathy (Social Market Foundation). One covers human soft skills at work (Providence Business News). Two cover tools for producing or practicing speech: AI narration with an expressiveness setting (PR TIMES) and dialogue training with automatic scenario generation (ASCII.jp).

The two Japanese product updates share a pattern. Both appear to move the tool toward expressive delivery or more varied practice material, and both reduce manual preparation. This is inference from the headlines alone.

The headlines also appear to pull in two directions. The Social Market Foundation piece frames convincing empathy mimicry as carrying costs as well as opportunities. The summit headline says soft skills are key in AI-driven workplaces, according to the outlet's report. Together they may indicate that as AI output becomes more expressive, human interpersonal skill is being treated as more important, not less. The headlines do not show whether this holds in practice. They give no usage figures, outcomes or evidence on whether the tools improve skills.

What to watch

- Whether the costs of convincing empathy mimicry, as framed by the Social Market Foundation, get specific examples or evidence in later coverage. - Whether the soft-skills emphasis reported from the PBN summit shows up in measurable training or hiring practices. The headline gives no such detail. - Whether tools like "AI Plus Talk" and "EQ Presentation Cloud" publish results showing effects on users' communication. None appear in these headlines.