Emotional Intelligence in the Digital Age: Harnessing AI for Students’ Inner Development

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and challenges in fostering emotional intelligence (EI) in students. EI, vital for personal, academic, and professional success, involves recognising and regulating emotions in oneself and others. This opinion piece explores AI's potential and challenges in enhancing EI. AI's role in higher education and its various applications, including assessment and prediction, are discussed. The article also addresses the recent proliferation of Generative AI (GenAI) tools, which generate diverse content types and have sparked debates in education. AI's potential in developing each component of Goleman's EI model (1998) is examined, focusing on empathy, social skills, self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. AI-driven applications, such as those aiding individuals in recognising and managing emotions, practising empathy, and tailoring educational content to foster motivation, are highlighted. The piece also acknowledges concerns, such as ethical and privacy considerations in data collection, potential biases in AI algorithms, and the risk of overreliance on AI. In conclusion, we advocate for a balanced approach that combines AI tools with traditional teaching methods and human interactions to cultivate EI effectively whilst managing associated risks.