In 'Affective Computing', Rosalind W. Picard explores the revolutionary intersection of technology and human emotion. She presents a compelling argument for why machines should not only be able to process information but also understand and respond to emotional cues. Through fascinating case studies and innovative research, Picard unveils how emotional intelligence in technology can enhance human-computer interactions and foster deeper connections. This book raises thought-provoking questions about the future of artificial intelligence and the role of emotions in our increasingly digital world. Could the next breakthrough in technology lie in understanding our feelings?
By Rosalind W. Picard
Published: 2000
""Emotions are not just for humans; they are essential for machines to understand us, and in return, for us to understand them.""
According to Rosalind Picard, if we want computers to be genuinely intelligent and to interact naturally with us, we must give computers the ability to recognize, understand, even to have and express emotions. The latest scientific findings indicate that emotions play an essential role in decision making, perception, learning, and more—that is, they influence the very mechanisms of rational thinking. Not only too much, but too little emotion can impair decision making. According to Rosalind Picard, if we want computers to be genuinely intelligent and to interact naturally with us, we must give computers the ability to recognize, understand, even to have and express emotions. Part 1 of this book provides the intellectual framework for affective computing. It includes background on human emotions, requirements for emotionally intelligent computers, applications of affective computing, and moral and social questions raised by the technology. Part 2 discusses the design and construction of affective computers. Although this material is more technical than that in Part 1, the author has kept it less technical than typical scientific publications in order to make it accessible to newcomers. Topics in Part 2 include signal-based representations of emotions, human affect recognition as a pattern recognition and learning problem, recent and ongoing efforts to build models of emotion for synthesizing emotions in computers, and the new application area of affective wearable computers.
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“"Emotions are not just for humans; they are essential for machines to understand us, and in return, for us to understand them."”
Affective Computing
By Rosalind W. Picard
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Rosalind W. Picard is a pioneering researcher and author recognized for her contributions to the fields of affective computing and human-computer interaction. A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Picard is the founder of the Affective Computing Research Group. She is best known for her influential book "Affective Computing," which lays the groundwork for integrating emotional intelligence into technology. With a writing style that is both scholarly and accessible, Picard bridges complex theoretical concepts with practical applications, making her work impactful for both academia and industry. Her research extends to areas such as wearable technology and the role of emotion in education and health.
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