AI and Emotion: Can Machines Truly Feel?

One of the strongest arguments I hear from artists is this: Art is a reflection of human emotion, something AI can’t replicate.

Well… that’s somewhat true, although if you ask me the same question next month, my answer might change.

Right now, AI still struggles to understand and express human emotion. Even the most advanced AI-generated image tends to fall short of convincing a trained eye. There’s always something “off.” Something’s missing. Something unfamiliar, uncanny.

Humans have spent around 300,000 years developing language and emotional expression. Our brains are built for storytelling and imagination. We are, as far as we know, the only species on Earth that can imagine something imaginary. That’s the core of what makes us creative.

Midjourney :Masterpiece, cinematic, hyperrealistic, surreal oil painting. A solitary sleek silver robot stands in the center of a vast gothic cathedral chamber with towering archways and intricate stone carvings. The entire hall, from floor to ceiling, is overflowing with thousands of human masks, spilling from alcoves, each depicting distinct emotions: joy, sorrow, surprise, anger, calm, fear, amusement, despair, serenity, confusion. Every mask is rendered in extreme detail with pores, skin textures, and expressive lines, evoking uncanny valley realism.

The robot is elegantly anthropomorphic, smooth reflective metal with glowing blue circuits at its joints. It holds one mask up to its face, metallic fingers gently cupping it, head tilted as if in deep study and wonder. Its posture conveys curiosity and existential contemplation, surrounded by the sea of faces.

A dramatic shaft of mystical moonlight pours from above, illuminating the robot and the mask, casting long chiaroscuro shadows across the floor. Foreground masks are sharp, while those receding blur into gothic darkness, creating immense depth of field. The atmosphere is melancholic, mysterious, and awe-inspiring, a vision of philosophy and existential art.

Artistic style: highly detailed oil painting, fine art, renaissance chiaroscuro, surrealism, digital art blended with painterly textures. --ar 16:9 --v 6 --q 2 --s 1000 --style raw

AI simply isn’t there yet. It can’t predict or replicate our emotions in a way that genuinely fools us. That’s why every AI-generated portrait is still recognizable, especially to an experienced artist.

There’s so much happening between humans in a single glance, unspoken stories, subtle energy, silent communication. You can feel something just by looking someone in the eye. AI doesn’t (yet) feel anything.

That said, AI is improving fast. A month ago, I would’ve confidently said “never.” But now? The future looks different. It’s not far-fetched to imagine AI soon being able to convince us. If that happens, the argument that “AI can’t reflect emotion” becomes irrelevant.

Also, let’s not forget, the meaning of art is changing. In modern interpretations, art isn’t always about the creator anymore; it’s also about the observer. Art can be defined by how it’s perceived, its statement and purpose, not just by who made it.

By that standard, AI art could be meaningful.

We might be judging AI art through a narrow lens, maybe because it’s unfamiliar or “too different.” But what if it’s just a new language we don’t fully understand yet?

Let me explain with a personal story: As a non-native English speaker living in the UK, I constantly have to learn not just the words, but the layers of the language, tone, timing, pronunciation, and subtle cultural meanings. Even now, I know I can’t fully express myself in a debate the same way I could in my native language. I learn by watching British people, by listening to their podcasts, their films, and copying their expressions.

Now, imagine someone takes me and a native Brit to a rural village in the north of the island. They’d likely understand the locals much better than I could. I’d probably sound less intelligent, or even confusing. To them, I’d be an outsider.

Maybe that’s what’s happening with AI. Maybe it’s speaking an unfamiliar dialect of creativity, and we, as humans, are the skeptical villagers.

AI may not understand every emotion, but it might be offering us something else. A new way of imagining parallel worlds. Strange yet beautiful possibilities. This is uncharted territory, and maybe, just maybe, it could inspire artists to explore new horizons of expression.