Trend Macrotrend 2: AI takes emotional, embodied and socially responsive form

Summary

NTT DATA's second macrotrend, embodied agency and emotions, describes AI moving beyond text interfaces and isolated tasks. Digital humans, humanoid robots and interfaces that sense emotion are entering daily life in education, healthcare, mobility and public services. The report links the timing to societies facing loneliness, skill shortages and growing demand for more inclusive, human-centred experiences. Emotionally aware systems can read gestures, tone and affect and respond in ways that feel intuitive and supportive, which the report sees as a route to trust and engagement. At the societal level, it argues that synthetic empathy could become a structural driver of wellbeing, productivity and accessibility. It also cautions that embedding such systems widely makes ethical design around privacy, authenticity and human agency urgent.