I’ve worked with clinicians and technologists who study real conversations in clinics and the code behind conversational agents. Small changes in wording, pauses, and follow-up questions shape whether someone feels heard. Chatbots can be programmed to mirror those behaviors consistently, which helps explain why some studies find higher patient-reported warmth. At the same time, algorithmic empathy can miss context, cultural differences, and the ethical judgment humans provide during difficult decisions.
Exploring this research leads to practical questions about training, design, and fairness. Could AI tools raise the bar for clinicians, or will they create new gaps for people who need more than polite language? Follow the full article to see how these findings might influence care, professional training, and who gets the kind of attention that supports healing and growth.
A surprising new analysis suggests that patients may find artificial intelligence more compassionate than real doctors. Researchers from the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester reviewed 15 studies comparing patient interactions with AI chatbots like ChatGPT to those…
