Abstract
<jats:p>Emotional intelligence (EI) is essential for effective communication and relationship-building. Integrating EI into artificial intelligence (AI) enables machines to recognize and respond to human emotions, transforming interactions from transactional to empathetic. This paper examines AI-driven real-time emotion recognition, which interprets emotional signals from facial expressions, voice, and physiological cues using machine learning, natural language processing, and affective computing. Applications span healthcare, education, customer service, and leadership, improving emotional support and engagement. Ethical considerations, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and emotional influence, are also addressed. The findings suggest that emotion-aware AI can enhance psychological safety, foster empathy, and promote meaningful human-machine interactions. The study concludes by recommending ethical oversight and further research to advance responsible development of emotion sensitive AI.</jats:p>