We need to make AI 'human more' rather than 'human less'

Training AI to be emotionally intelligent will help us use it for the good of humanity

Bill Gates says we always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Picture: AP

When I decided to train Artificial Intelligence to be emotionally intelligent, lots of people said I was brave. Telling people they’re brave is usually a polite way of saying ‘That’s a crazy thing to do’. I had already heard the word ‘brave’ a lot when I decided to take voluntary redundancy from my permanent, pensionable career as a TV producer in RTÉ.

But emotional intelligence was something I felt passionate about. I had discovered how to really connect emotionally with audiences when I directed and produced Creedon’s Wild Atlantic Way, Creedon’s Epic East, and Creedon’s Shannon for RTÉ — series that were IFTA nominated and watched all over the world.