“Breakthroughs in large language models (#LLMs) have made conversations with #chatbots feel more natural and human-like. Applications such as Replika and Character.ai, which allow users to chat with artificial intelligence (##AI) versions of famous actors and science-fiction characters, are becoming popular, especially among young #users. As a #neuroscientist studying #stress, #vulnerability and #resilience, I’ve seen how easily people react to even the smallest emotional cues — even when they know that those cues are artificial. For example, study participants exhibit measurable physiological responses when shown videos of computer-generated avatars expressing sadness or fear.”

…

“Because these AI systems are #trained on vast amounts of emotionally expressive human language, their outputs can come across as surprisingly natural. *LLMs often mirror human emotional patterns, not because they understand emotions, but because their responses resemble how people talk.*”

…

“Now is the time to establish mandatory #safeguards for all emotionally responsive AI.”

“Emotional influence isn’t a glitch. It’s a core feature of LLMs. If we celebrate their ability to comfort or advise, we must also confront their capacity to mislead or manipulate. We’ve built machines that sound like they care. Now, we must ensure that they don’t hurt the very people who turn to them for support. That means giving emotionally responsive AI not just more capabilities, but clearer boundaries.”

#ZivBenZion / #neurosciene / #AI / #GuardRails / #control / #WhiteCollar <https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02031-w> (paywall) / <https://archive.md/IyddU>

I want to read the #book The #Ideological #Brain, by #neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod: https://tinyurl.com/2nxpbjkv. Here's an interview of her by The New York Times: https://tinyurl.com/4wc6xdyc

#Ideology May Not Be What You Think but How You’re Wired

In her new book, “The #Ideological Brain,” the #neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod outlines what makes some people prone to rigid #thinking.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/science/ideology-neuroscience-politics-zmigord.html

The Game of Christianity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW41pghKsRQ

#christianity #deconstructingchristianity #fundamentalism

''Here, we discuss Kelly Clancy's book called Playing With #Reality. Clancy is a #neuroscientist and physicist who talks about the gamification of #society. I use this concept to explain how I think Christianity is set up as a game.''

On 7 March, the Netherlands Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center will open at Erasmus MC!

I’m honoured to be speaking alongside neuroscientist Stéphanie Dijkhuizen, where we’ll introduce the SCANNER project—an initiative tackling 1 of the most critical questions in autism research:

(why) are there more men than women with autism?