Deep Empathy (2017)

Deep Empathy is a 2017 collaboration between Iyad Rahwan’s Scalable Cooperation lab at MIT, and the UNICEF Innovation Office to pursue a scalable way to increase empathy. We use deep learning algorithms to learn characteristics of Syrian neighborhoods after the war (for example, Aleppo, Syria), and uses these features to transform images of cities all over the world, simulating how they would look if they suffered disasters like those in Syria. We used these simulated images to investigate whether AI can induce empathy with in humans. The project raises questions about AI’s ability to emotionally manipulate us, and how such capability may be used for good, highlighting the tension between the benefits of technology and the maintenance of human autonomy.

Interactive: Deep Empathy web site

Team: Pinar Yanardag, Iyad Rahwan, Manuel Garcia Herranz, Christopher Fabian, Zoe Rahwan, Nick Obradovich, Abhimanyu Dubey, Manuel Cebrian

Selected Media: New York Times, New Scientist, Fast Co Design, Digital Trends