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Affective Computing
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.
306 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 5, 2021
1.Why this work?
Remarkable, Stupendous work by Professor Picard.
Picard constructs an extremely important, foundational work for Affective Computing.
The Work of including Emotions is important.
It has been left out in Computing, Engineering World - why?
Probably Engineers might not have vocabulary for vivid expression of feelings, emotions.
Probably, one day during mid-life or late-life, they realize - they can't fix everyone.
Emotions play central role in forming any type of relationship.
Picard constructs an extremely important, foundational work in Affective Computing.
How can Computers recognize, express and have feeling?
This is one of the question, Picard explores in her work and research.
I'd extend and say, Relationships are part of human activity, basis of Civilization. Emotions play a key component in forming it.
2. So, What is inside this work?
Picard goes into foundation work for building a framework for Affective Computing.
Many of this work is applied into Wearable Tech. It could be extended into other areas in Industry.
I was surprised to find Antonio Damsio's reference in her work. Antonio Damsio argues that emotions play a vital role in rationality.
Non-Linear way of looking at Emotions, Representing them were interesting?
I wondered, how Neural Nets could be used in this area?
I came to this work, just in time out of Providence, it extended my understanding in emotions, feelings, computing.
3. Why should I care?
Perhaps, you might ask -- Where do I apply this?
Affective Mirror
Beyond Emoticons
Text to Speech
Helping Autistic People
Consumer Feedback
Points for Courage
Emotions in Learning
And many more
Deus Vult,
Gottfried.
Remarkable, Stupendous work by Professor Picard.
Picard constructs an extremely important, foundational work for Affective Computing.
The Work of including Emotions is important.
It has been left out in Computing, Engineering World - why?
Probably Engineers might not have vocabulary for vivid expression of feelings, emotions.
Probably, one day during mid-life or late-life, they realize - they can't fix everyone.
Emotions play central role in forming any type of relationship.
Picard constructs an extremely important, foundational work in Affective Computing.
How can Computers recognize, express and have feeling?
This is one of the question, Picard explores in her work and research.
I'd extend and say, Relationships are part of human activity, basis of Civilization. Emotions play a key component in forming it.
2. So, What is inside this work?
Picard goes into foundation work for building a framework for Affective Computing.
Many of this work is applied into Wearable Tech. It could be extended into other areas in Industry.
I was surprised to find Antonio Damsio's reference in her work. Antonio Damsio argues that emotions play a vital role in rationality.
Non-Linear way of looking at Emotions, Representing them were interesting?
I wondered, how Neural Nets could be used in this area?
I came to this work, just in time out of Providence, it extended my understanding in emotions, feelings, computing.
3. Why should I care?
Perhaps, you might ask -- Where do I apply this?
Affective Mirror
Beyond Emoticons
Text to Speech
Helping Autistic People
Consumer Feedback
Points for Courage
Emotions in Learning
And many more
Deus Vult,
Gottfried.
January 1, 2020
In her seminal work, Rosalind Picard, an MIT researcher, (2000) studies the promise, challenges, and potential reward of augmenting artificial intelligence with a core component of human intelligence — namely, emotion. The ability to recognize emotion is among the key aspects of emotional intelligence, which is a facet of human intelligence (Picard and Vyzas, 2001). Furthermore, emotion plays a key aspect in perception (Picard, 2000). There are many examples that point to an intervening role for emotions in perception. Studies show how mood influences participants’ perception of ambiguous stimuli. This work is a valuable introduction to affective computing, plus, highly readable. Go for it!
March 22, 2016
I am simply at awe at the way this book was written. It didn't feel like a textbook at all! Yes, some parts are a bit technical but the way it introduces hypotheses and theories are amazing.
Note that this was written waaaaaaaayy back in the mid-to-late-90's. In this book, the Dr Picard presents her thoughts on the possibilities of a computer perceiving and expressing emotions. Thus, she has pioneered the field of Affective Computing itself. Flash forward to the present, Dr Picard and various other researchers have made astounding work in this field. Even the technology (i.e. wearable devices) has caught up such as smart watches.
Let's see what other breakthroughs can this field contribute to society in the near future! :D
Note that this was written waaaaaaaayy back in the mid-to-late-90's. In this book, the Dr Picard presents her thoughts on the possibilities of a computer perceiving and expressing emotions. Thus, she has pioneered the field of Affective Computing itself. Flash forward to the present, Dr Picard and various other researchers have made astounding work in this field. Even the technology (i.e. wearable devices) has caught up such as smart watches.
Let's see what other breakthroughs can this field contribute to society in the near future! :D
Currently reading
October 24, 2012emotion, facial expression, interaction
August 8, 2017
Nice reading to introduce us to the field of affective computing. It more emphasizes on basic concepts of affective computing rather than diving into technical details. And that makes it more accessible to people unlike other textbooks. I read the first edition, which is pretty dated, but it still gives an interesting perspective of the field. Personally, definitely want to keep it up to the latest version.
March 28, 2014
A very good introduction about AC, but it is time for a 2nd edition.
March 23, 2020
When I see something has come out of the MIT Media Lab, I am somewhat predisposed to expect something a bit flaky and superficial. On the other hand, the author has actual technical chops. And what I found in this book is, a bunch of technical material, mixed with social sciences (which are their own thing, really) and seasoned with a soupcon of flakery.
The discussions of how emotion helps in human decision making is good, as are the discussions of how it might be useful for software agents to recognize and act on human emotions, and even on how software agents could "display" human emotions. However, the discussions of how software agents could be given emotions (even if those emotions are very different from human emotions) seems rather pointless, and is never justified. Evolution has developed emotions as a way to help humans to pass on their genes (the only goal that evolution has), and appear to function as heuristics to help make decisions and chose between goals. We can give software agents these heuristics directly, and we can even allow them to learn them. Emotions, aside from their utility, are primarily experiential. They are qualia. This talk of giving software agents emotions is just muddy thinking. At most, you could talk about using emotions as a model for heuristics for software agents. (Unless you're talking about Artificial General Intelligence, but that still appears to be a distant, ever-receding dream.)
This book is getting a bit long in the tooth -- so what has changed in the field since then? Well, it doesn't look like affect detection has made that much progress. Certainly the current fad for throwing massive amounts of data at statistical systems and calling it artificial intelligence does not seem to have made all that much headway (see this article). One place is where there has been change -- and it is unwelcome change -- is it no longer is possible to pretend that emotion recognition will be used primarily for benign purposes. It will be used to sell us things we don't need, to manipulate our votes, and to identify "troublemakers" so those in power can take steps to neutralize them. And think about what the insurance industry would do with the data from the wearable computers described in this book! Let's just hope the positive uses outweigh those negative ones.
Like some other reviewers, I wouldn't mind looking at an updated version of this book.
The discussions of how emotion helps in human decision making is good, as are the discussions of how it might be useful for software agents to recognize and act on human emotions, and even on how software agents could "display" human emotions. However, the discussions of how software agents could be given emotions (even if those emotions are very different from human emotions) seems rather pointless, and is never justified. Evolution has developed emotions as a way to help humans to pass on their genes (the only goal that evolution has), and appear to function as heuristics to help make decisions and chose between goals. We can give software agents these heuristics directly, and we can even allow them to learn them. Emotions, aside from their utility, are primarily experiential. They are qualia. This talk of giving software agents emotions is just muddy thinking. At most, you could talk about using emotions as a model for heuristics for software agents. (Unless you're talking about Artificial General Intelligence, but that still appears to be a distant, ever-receding dream.)
This book is getting a bit long in the tooth -- so what has changed in the field since then? Well, it doesn't look like affect detection has made that much progress. Certainly the current fad for throwing massive amounts of data at statistical systems and calling it artificial intelligence does not seem to have made all that much headway (see this article). One place is where there has been change -- and it is unwelcome change -- is it no longer is possible to pretend that emotion recognition will be used primarily for benign purposes. It will be used to sell us things we don't need, to manipulate our votes, and to identify "troublemakers" so those in power can take steps to neutralize them. And think about what the insurance industry would do with the data from the wearable computers described in this book! Let's just hope the positive uses outweigh those negative ones.
Like some other reviewers, I wouldn't mind looking at an updated version of this book.
September 19, 2019
I read this book as part of my Master's thesis. It is well-written and surprisingly up-to-date still now, almost 30 years later.
Recommended for anyone interested in how to give computers emotions or at least how to make them understand our emotions - a crucial part for any true AI.
Recommended for anyone interested in how to give computers emotions or at least how to make them understand our emotions - a crucial part for any true AI.
May 6, 2025
A classic in the computer science literature of making emotions central to the design, use, and interaction properties of computer systems. Thoughtful and comprehensive for its time.
September 12, 2010
Cool cool ideas! Particularly the bits about sensing emotions and wearable computers. (not so much the bits about generating emotions; seems too difficult, like the rest of AI.) Biggest downside: it's from 1997.
February 1, 2011
Probably a bit dated technically, but such an interesting field. Like AI but speaking more directly to human experience. I think this is a field to watch. Maybe a discourse to jump into!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews