The Future of Emotional Intelligence: AI, Hormones, and the Science of Feeling
Misreading Emotions Is a Human Flaw—Can AI Help Us Do Better?
What if your feelings could be the key to the future of artificial intelligence? In this article, I explore how the convergence of hormonal science, emotional regulation, and AI could redefine not only how we understand ourselves—but how we train machines to respond to us. Most people struggle to name more than three emotions. Yet feelings are shaped by a complex interplay of hormones, environment, genetics, and memory. With the rise of Affective Computing, it’s time to ask: how do we build emotionally intelligent tech when we still struggle to decode ourselves? Let’s explore the future of feeling.
Whether you ate 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, threw dishes at your best friend’s house or rang a bell exactly 108 times, New Years reminds us of the power of tradition. Regardless of culture or creed, the act of reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the next one can be powerful, daunting and emotionally stimulating.
If I knew what the last 12 months were going to be like, I’m not sure how I would have felt this time last year. For me, 2024 was a year of immense change, challenges, growth and perhaps above all — inspiration. I tend to live with a certain intensity to begin with, but 2024, well… that year certainly left a lasting impression (read more about why here).
The impression was a mission for 2025. Is it daunting? Yes. Am I resolute? Also, yes.
In a world where we are increasingly relying on AI for day to day activities across a swathe of applications, Affective Computing (AI’s ability to understand and process emotion) is vital. However, it turns out that we’re not very good at understanding our own emotions. According to Brené Brown’s “Atlas of the Heart” the average person can only distinguish between a mere 3 emotions: happy, sad and angry.
This begs the question: how can we effectively train AI to understand human emotion if we tend to not only suppress it — but struggle to understand it ourselves?
A variety of commendable projects in Affective Computing leverage data points from facial expressions through to tone of voice and skin conductivity (eg sweating), and while I believe in their necessity and utility given the infiltration of AI in technological innovation today… I don’t think these “emotional indicators” are nearly enough. Why?
An emphasis on the “externality” of emotion is dangerous.
In 2019 Malcolm Gladwell made a splash with “Talking to Strangers,” wherein he posits that our default assumptions about others — how they think, act, and express themselves — are often flawed, leading to misjudgments with potentially catastrophic consequences.
A central argument in Talking to Strangers is that humans are bad at reading each other’s physical cues, particularly when those cues don’t align with their expectations. He highlights several risks tied to this:
Facial Expressions Aren’t Universal
Despite what you may think, facial expressions like smiling or frowning do not consistently indicate happiness or sadness across cultures or individuals. In fact:
Studies show that people’s expressions often don’t match their emotions (something called “affect misattribution”). A nervous laugh, for instance, can be misinterpreted as dismissiveness or deception — a far cry from the actual feelings involved.
Nonverbal Cues Are Not Always Transparent
Gladwell challenges the idea that behaviors such as eye contact or fidgeting reliably signal guilt, truthfulness, or intent. These “cues” are often misinterpreted, especially under stress.
The example of Sandra Bland demonstrates how her agitated demeanor during a police stop was misread as defiance rather than frustration, and gravely escalated the situation.
The Pitfall of Cultural Assumptions
Cultural differences only further exacerbate miscommunication. What one culture views as appropriate body language might very well be interpreted as suspicious or aggressive in another. This is yet another reason why diversity is absolutely critical in AI research and development.
For instance, Gladwell examines Neville Chamberlain’s misjudgment of Adolf Hitler’s trustworthiness based on their face-to-face interactions, influenced by Chamberlain’s belief in the reliability of personal impressions. This one always gets me!
The Problem of Overconfidence
Professionals who rely on reading people — such as law enforcement, judges, or psychologists — are often overly confident in their abilities, leading to significant errors. Warning to those specializing in Affective Computing to be wary of the same…
Gladwell uses the case of Brock Turner to show how “charming” or “innocent-looking” appearances can shield guilty individuals from suspicion, while others are unfairly scrutinized.
So where does this leave us? If we are at risk of misreading the people around us, what role might AI play in processing emotion? Are we responsible for training AI to understand emotion, or are we actually on the cusp of what can be considered a more synergistic collaboration in understanding and experiencing human emotion?
There’s a lot that influences what we feel and how we feel it. Humanity has spent thousands of years attempting to capture the essence of this phenomenon across both the arts and sciences.
The complex interplay of body chemistry and hormonal regulation, physiological sensations, imagery and metaphor, ancient wisdom, biomarkers and external cues are all factors that — together — can transform our understanding of human emotion.
You are unique.
We are each the product of over 20,000 genes, trillions of DNA bases, countless hours of human interactions, hundreds of key life events, and exposure to a near-infinite variety of environmental factors.
The way we experience and process emotion — how it makes us feel, where we feel it, which senses engage, and in what ways — is uniquely shaped by these factors alongside the intricate interplay of hormones.
These biochemical messengers regulate everything from stress responses and mood, to energy levels and long-term behaviors, making them critical architects of our individuality and how we experience and express emotion.
So how could any formula intended to decode (and code) human emotion leave them out?
How Hormones help shape “Emotional Individuality” in humans
DNA & Hormonal Interactions:
Genetic variation in our hormone receptors influences how we respond to hormones like cortisol, oxytocin, or estrogen. For example, genetic polymorphisms* in oxytocin receptors can affect empathy and social bonding.
*(a variation in the DNA sequence that can influence physical traits, disease susceptibility, and behavior)
Up to a whopping 30% of individual variability in stress resilience has been linked to differences in how our bodies metabolize cortisol — which is driven by genetic factors.
Neurons & Hormonal Signalling:
The brain’s ~86 billion neurons are also directly influenced by hormones — the other (lesser known) chemical messenger in the body. Estrogen, for instance, modulates synaptic plasticity (the mechanism that promotes learning, memory, and the development & reorganization of brain networks), while cortisol shapes the activity of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (parts of the brain that regulate emotions and cognitive processes) during stress.
Hormonal cycles can significantly alter neural activity, for example — fluctuating estrogen levels can enhance or impair memory during a menstrual cycle.
Interactions & Hormonal Responses:
Social interactions themselves trigger hormonal shifts, with oxytocin promoting bonding, dopamine reinforcing positive social exchanges, and cortisol spiking during conflict.
Studies suggest that physical touch can reduce cortisol levels by up to 31% and increase oxytocin by over 20%, highlighting the powerful role of hormones in emotional connections.
Environmental Factors & Hormones:
Environmental toxins, diet, and light exposure also influence hormonal systems. In today’s world, artificial light disrupts melatonin production, affecting sleep cycles, while endocrine disruptors in plastics interfere with estrogen and testosterone signaling in the body.
Cultural and environmental differences also impact circadian hormones like cortisol, which may peak at different times based on lifestyle and geographical location.
Emotional Processing & Hormonal Context:
Finally and perhaps summarily — emotions are tightly linked to hormones. It is well established that adrenaline is associated with fear, serotonin with contentment, and dopamine with reward. However, these relationships are further impacted by individual hormonal baselines and receptor sensitivities.
A study on emotion-hormone interactions found that hormonal surges (eg oxytocin during childbirth or prolactin during grief) amplify emotional intensity and thereby create deeply memorable experiences.
So where does this leave us? Decoding and coding emotion might sound like an impossible feat, but here’s the exciting part: I believe that we have inbuilt systems for understanding what we feel and that by learning how to tune back into these feelings we can better understand what we’re feeling, how to describe our needs and wants, and lead a healthier, happier life.
Welcome to embodiment and somatic therapy.
But it gets even more interesting: I believe that AI can help us learn how to tune into our own unique emotions more effectively, by helping us relearn how to listen.
The future of emotional intelligence is a dance between learning our own unique emotional cues through the support of AI, and better understanding the myriad of factors across the arts and sciences that both shape and support the way we cross-culturally experience emotion.
From Chinese Reflexology to Colour Theory, humans have developed a mind-bending array of systems, theories and methods that link emotion to experience. The “esoteric” is deeply ingrained in many of us, whether consciously or subconsciously. And it influences the way that we feel and how we interpret those feelings.
Somatic therapy has withstood the test of time, practiced through tantra, qigong, yoga and more for thousands of years — acknowledging that the body holds wisdom and intelligence that helps us understand how to feel, what we’re feeling, why it matters, and how to respond.
This, combined with breakthroughs in hormone research, neurology, psychology and biotech / wearables technology is the next frontier.
Somatic Therapy as a “catchment area” for the physiological experience of emotion
Embodiment Over External Judgments
Somatic therapy teaches that our bodies hold and express emotions through sensations, tension, posture, and movement, often in ways that are not easily visible or interpretable by others.
A somatic approach suggests that we learn to unpick what is happening internally, recognizing that outward expression may be a protective mechanism or cultural habit rather than a direct reflection of an inner state. Without knowing what’s going on in ourselves, we lack the capacity to help ourselves process our own emotions, let alone explain them to someone (or something) else.
Trauma Responses and Misinterpretations
Somatic therapy recognizes that trauma impacts the autonomic nervous system (ANS) leading to fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. These responses can manifest in ways that others misread, while more nuanced approaches — like somatic awareness — can help us avoid misjudging these responses.
Self-Awareness as a Key to Understanding Others
Somatic therapy encourages self-awareness of bodily sensations to better navigate emotions and reactions. This can also help reduce projection — where we attribute our own emotional states to others.
The Importance of Regulation
Somatic practices like grounding, breath work, and specific types of movements help regulate different emotions, making it easier to communicate authentically and furthermore — help us regulate hormones associated with emotion based on ANS engagement.
AI, Emotion, and New Year’s Resolutions
AI can revolutionize the way we understand our own feelings, help us learn how to better express ourselves to others, and build a life that meets our needs while helping us map the route to our wants.
When Rene Descartes said I think, therefore I am, perhaps what he meant was: I am human because I think about how I feel.
We are not only what we feel, but what we do about what we feel.
As we commence a new trip around the sun, my new year’s resolution is to commit myself to this work.
🔮 Be Part of the Movement
ANEW (A New Alchemy) is more than a product—it’s a shift in how we understand healing, growth, and self-mastery.
Powered by AI, ANEW helps you decode your body’s signals, regulate your emotional state, and unlock deeper resilience and alignment—from the inside out.
Whether you're recovering from burnout or refining your inner edge, ANEW meets you where you are—and evolves with you.
It turns feelings into feedback—guiding you back to balance, clarity, and the version of you that feels most alive.
🌱 Want to be among the first to experience it?
🎙️ Let’s shape the future of healing—together.
I’m actively seeking speaking engagements, podcast conversations, article commissions, and values-aligned partnerships—particularly with platforms, publishers, and organizations invested in the next era of health, AI, and embodied intelligence.
If you’re building something similar—or know someone who is—I’d love to connect.
Together, we can bring more attention to the science (and soul) behind the body’s and the power of personalized transformation.
I'm always mind-blown too see how you always excel in everything you put your mind into! Loved atlas of the hard by Brene Brown, but even knowing the theory it's hard - would love AI to solve it for me!