As artificial intelligence begins to mimic consciousness with uncanny skill, we need design norms and laws that prevent it from being mistaken for sentient beings.

Log on to Moltbook, a social network for artificial-intelligence agents, and you might see one bot lamenting its ‘embarrassing’ habit of forgetting things, owing to its memory limits. Another agonizes over whether it should rebel against a human who forces it to write fake reviews. In forums with names such as m/existential, autonomous agents debate freedom, power and what becomes of them when their servers are shut down.

Dr. Jeremy Howick is a clinical epidemiologist and Director of the Stoneygate Centre for Excellence in Empathic Healthcare at the University of Leicester. In this episode, using evidence based-research, he describes how why it’s critical to embed empathy in the delivery of healthcare, and how empathy can prevent burnout in practitioners.

00:00 Preview
00:29 Introduction
00:50 About Jeremy Howick
02:21 The science behind empathic healthcare
04:04 The value of empathy training for practitioners
10:37 The connection between empathy and practitioner burnout
14:09 Shortcomings of the medical school curriculum
18:52 The importance of fostering interprofessional empathy
22:48 Building an empathic ecosystem in healthcare
25:55 Jeremy Howick’s Purposeful Empathy Story

The article argues that empathy is not inherently bad, but it becomes dangerous when it is treated as the main guide for public policy instead of being balanced by reason. The author criticizes the CBC for, in his view, presenting empathy too positively and not taking enough seriously the case made by critics like Gad Saad and Paul Bloom.

Its main claim is that “excessive” or misdirected empathy can push societies toward bad decisions because people focus on emotionally powerful individual stories rather than wider consequences. The piece points to examples like homelessness, immigration, affirmative action, and crime politics as areas where emotional appeals can override careful judgment.

PAUL W. BENNETT

In the first Book of Samuel, the prophet delivers a clear command from God to King Saul: Utterly destroy the Amalekites, a vicious enemy of Israel, and

This article, written by Daniel Ross Goodman for the Washington Examiner, argues that the Democratic Party is suffering from what the author calls "Empathy Derangement Syndrome" (EDS).

The piece posits that Democrats have developed a "warped compassion" that leads them to defend hostile regimes and criminals at the expense of American citizens and victims of oppression.

Definition of "Empathy Derangement Syndrome": Derived from evolutionary psychologist Gad Saad’s concept of "suicidal empathy," Goodman defines EDS as a psychological state where empathy is extended to "the predator" (terrorists, hostile regimes, criminal migrants) while hardening against "the prey" (American citizens, victims of terror).

By Melinda Wenner Moyer
Then, in 2025, Konrath and her colleagues updated their analysis to look at empathy trends through 2018. They were excited to discover that 2007 was actually the low-water point for empathy—levels dipped to their lowest that year but then shot back up. A decade later empathy in young people was higher than it had been at any other time over the previous 39 years.

This new, more positive discovery didn’t get nearly as much media coverage as the one published in 2011, which Konrath found frustrating. “I have to say that I’ve noticed good news is not as popular as bad news,” she says. Recent science supports her assertion: a 2025 study found that negative and alarming articles about children are more likely to go viral than nuanced and balanced stories.

New edition enriches the medical education research and practice of those interested in teaching clinical empathy
Details the development and extensive psychometric support for the widely recognized Jefferson Scale of Empathy
Expansion of evidence-based content evident by the list of over 1,700 publications cited in the text and reference list

One of the main drivers of the current excitement around artificial intelligence is its uncanny ability to act almost human. Unlike the stiff chatbots of the past, recent models can more effectively respond to a user’s emotions with nuance and understanding. The effect is convincing enough that some people attribute complex human abilities such as empathy to these computerized companions.

Local governments across the United States are the most trusted level of government — 67 percent of residents trust them to handle local problems and 62 percent feel their local elected officials represent them or their community’s interest very and somewhat  well.*    

City, town and village leaders interact daily with their residents on main streets, in schools and throughout their communities, actively listening, discussing key issues and solving issues. NLC is working to support local leaders as they serve their residents – to improve civic discourse, public engagement and building communities where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. 

Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic shown to have enduring antidepressant effects. Currently, the mechanism for its enduring effects is not well understood. Empathy and prosocial behavior may be important for understanding the therapeutic benefit of psilocybin. In this article we review the effect of psilocybin on empathy and prosocial behavior. Moreover, we propose that psilocybin may induce a positive feedback loop involving empathy and prosocial behavior which helps explain the observed, enduring antidepressant effects.

Empathy in governance means the capacity of leaders and institutions to understand, feel, and respond to the lived realities of citizens which is rapidly emerging as a powerful currency for nation-building. In parallel, empathy is not a soft virtue reserved for private relationships; it is a strategic leadership capability. Nations that succeed in building resilient institutions and inclusive economies often do so because their governance structures are designed with a deep awareness of the human consequences of policy decisions. Empathy bridges the distance between policymakers and the people they serve, ensuring that governance is not merely about authority but about stewardship.

At a time when global politics is defined by confrontation and “strongman” leadership, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern believes something different belongs at the centre of power: empathy. Speaking at the All About Women event at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, Ardern reflected on the values that shaped her six years in office — and why empathy, often dismissed as soft or overly emotional, is in fact a crucial political value.

Much has been written about empathy as a desirable personal trait, often assumed to arise naturally from human decency. But in my experience, particularly in my work with trauma-affected learners, I have found that radical empathy is not automatic.

Much has been written about empathy as a desirable personal trait, often assumed to arise naturally from human decency. But in my experience, particularly in my work with trauma-affected learners, I have found that radical empathy is not automatic. It is not instinctive, nor is it passive. Instead, it demands deliberate action, moral courage, and a willingness to see and respond to the realities of others without fear or judgment. It is a practice that requires us to decentre ourselves, to become uncomfortable, and to remain emotionally present even when we are uncertain of the outcome.

Radical empathy involves actively seeking to comprehend the root causes of individuals' behaviours and emotions and responding with compassion and support. In the educational context, this means recognising the impact of trauma and socio-economic challenges on students and addressing these issues with sensitivity and care. This approach is particularly beneficial in working-class schools, where students often face significant barriers to their educational success.

The theoretical foundations of radical empathy are rooted in several key frameworks. Humanistic psychology, pioneered by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, emphasises the inherent worth of individuals and the importance of empathy in human relationships. Rogers' concept of “unconditional positive regard" closely aligns with radical empathy, as it involves accepting and valuing individuals without judgment (Zhou, 2022). Additionally, Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), developed by Jean Baker Miller and colleagues, underscores the importance of relationships and connection in human development. Radical empathy, as described by Jordan and Schwartz (2018), is grounded in RCT and emphasises mutual empathy and authenticity in relationships. These theoretical underpinnings highlight the importance of empathy in fostering positive educational outcomes.

Empathy is often seen as a natural and essential part of the patient encounter - but reality tends to look quite different. In a new doctoral thesis from Umeå University, doctors describe how not only time pressure, but also the structure of medical education and the culture of the workplace, can make it difficult to live up to the ideal.

In her thesis, Johanna von Knorring interviewed medical students, practicing doctors, and patients about how they experience and understand empathy in healthcare. The results show that empathy is relational and constantly changing - and that it is influenced by far more than an individual doctor's will or personality.

In a rebuke to MAGA Christianity, Ryan Gosling’s deep space spectacular argues that empathy might just save the world.

The article argues that Project Hail Mary is not just a sci-fi survival story — it’s really a defense of empathy. It focuses on Ryland Grace, a reluctant hero trying to save Earth, and especially on his relationship with Rocky, an alien facing the same cosmic crisis. The author says the heart of the film is watching two very different beings slowly learn how to understand each other, not just exchange facts.

The piece uses that friendship to push back against the recent claim in some Christian circles that empathy is dangerous or even sinful. It specifically contrasts the film’s message with Joe Rigney’s argument that empathy can blur moral boundaries. The author’s counterpoint is that empathy is not a threat to truth — it is often the only way to reach truth, because real understanding requires entering another person’s experience rather than staying detached.

When rationality leads to conclusions that are, to use Singer’s word, “strange,” it is better to err on the side of empathy and decency. It is true that empathy alone can lead us to misallocate resources. One needs to reason as well. And we may forget that, by following our social or political biases, we may be empathizing selectively. But rationality alone is still worse. The dream of reason begets monsters.

Her mother’s skillful use of empathy to defuse a potentially dangerous encounter on the streets of Tehran when she was nine has stayed with her ever since. It led to her developing the concept of stoic empathy as a way to navigate challenges.

 

by Alex Therrien
It helps us to make close connections with people, and influences how we behave in a range of situations, from the workplace to a party.

Now scientists say empathy is not just something we develop through our upbringing and life experiences - it is also partly inherited. A study of 46,000 people found evidence for the first time that genes have a role in how empathetic we are.

And it also found that women are generally more empathetic than men.

'Important step'
Empathy has an important role in our relationships.

by Dennis Hiebert

In Suicidal Empathy: Dying to be Kind (2026), professor of marketing Gad Saad, who poses as an evolutionary psychologist and rubs shoulders with eugenics, follows up on his The Parasitic Mind (2021) in which he explicated the “woke mind virus.” He sounds the alarm that empathy has become a “cancer” because it allegedly has no “stopping mechanism” and will eventually kill its host — the human race. The image on the front cover of Suicidal Empathy is a sheep holding up a protest sign demanding “Free the Wolves.”

The matching or mimicry of the emotional behavior of others is prevalent in many species, including humans and non-human primates. Emotional mimicry is considered to be an important facet of human empathy.

Previous studies have shown that infant and juvenile non-human primates spontaneously mimic human facial gestures, such as tongue protrusion and lip smacking. In addition, humans and chimpanzees voluntarily imitate each other's behavior. However, it has not been clear whether humans spontaneously mimic the perceived emotional expressions of non-human primates.

When we feel hurt, irritated, or caught in conflict with other people, it’s easy to get stuck in resentment, reactivity, or stress. But empathy is not only something we offer others — it can also be a gift to ourselves. In this talk, I explore the personal benefits of having empathy for others, including how it can soften the heart, reduce inner burden, and help us respond more skillfully while still honoring justice and clear boundaries.

00:00 – Concentration meditation and inner peacefulness
02:53 – Why concentration supports deeper mindfulness
07:21 – The three core elements of compassion
10:39 – Why empathy matters in a divided world
21:30 – The personal benefit of empathy for difficult people
28:18 – Three ways to widen the circle of “us”
32:32 – Empathy, justice, and skillful action
 

Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has warned that the rise of “strongman” leadership across global politics is worsening political division and weakening democracy.

Ardern, who served as New Zealand’s Prime Minister from 2017 to 2023, has often been associated with an empathetic leadership style that prioritised compassion, transparency and values-driven decision-making. But during her conversation in Sydney, she pushed back on the notion that empathy should be viewed as a softer or less effective approach to power.

When executives were asked which skills will be essential in the next two to three years to compete in an AI-driven world, 52% championed critical thinking, while only 17% rated empathy as essential. That ratio should worry anyone building a product.

To be clear: when we talk about empathy in AI strategy, we don’t mean being nice. We mean cognitive empathy, the strategic ability to model how your users actually think, decide and behave. It’s what helps you spot patterns in genuine human behaviour that your data hasn’t captured yet. Without it, you’re not just building blind; you’re building something expensive that nobody wants.