Artificial intelligence with a human face. How neural networks build emotional connections with customers

© Ekaterina Fomicheva, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0067-0088-8

Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

Modern science perceives emotions as not merely subjective experience or reaction to stimuli, but as a fundamental mechanism in perception, thought, and decision-making. They are formed under the influence of a multi-level interaction of biological, cognitive, and social processes, and play the role of human adaptation to the world, and behavior regulation. On the physiological level, they represent a system of neural and hormonal responses that ensure the body’s quick adaptation to the environment (fig. 1).

The limbic system, a group of structures, is directly implicated in the process. Primary emotional processing of information is performed by the amygdala, and it is highly involved in fear, pleasure, and aggression responses. It automatically evaluates incoming signals and transmits them to other areas of the brain, eliciting the corresponding physiological response. For example, if a person perceives a potential threat, the it activates defense mechanisms – fast heartbeat, rush of adrenaline, increased alertness.

Hippocampus serves as an interface between emotions and memory. It is because of this structure that emotionally significant events are remembered more than neutral events. This is why memories based on intense experiences last longer and can influence future decisions.

The hypothalamus regulates the physical expression of emotions by managing stress and pleasure hormone balance [2]. It is also responsible for keeping emotions in sync with the physical response of the body: changing breathing patterns, facial expressions, and motor movements.

Emotions, thus, are not random or irrational responses, but a complex biological process through which one is able to make a rapid assessment of the circumstances, learn from the past events, and adjust behavior according to the circumstances. But their function is not merely to direct the individual’s perception. People always estimate other individuals’ responses, which help in establishing relationships, determining motives, and exercising self-control. This is particularly necessary in social interactions, where learning to understand others’ feelings serves as the platform for social life and adjustment.

They also serve as an essential communication tool. Facial expressions, gestures, and the tone of voice convey emotions and allow people to communicate without having to speak. For example, a smile is universally recognized to be a welcoming sign, and a scowl suggests discontent or anxiety.

Neurophysiological experiments confirm that all this talent owes its existence to the activity of mirror neurons – special cells of the brain which react not only when a certain action is executed, but also when one witnesses someone else performing it [3]. With their help, we can sympathize, read other individuals’ emotional states, and modify conduct according to situation.

The ability to feel and get the sense of others’ reality is not merely social but is also involved in decision-making. Up to now, it was believed that this process is built on rationality and that feelings interfere with the objective mind. Modern research has a different evidence.

The studies by neuropsychologist Antonio Damasio revealed that individuals who lost the ability for feelings due to prefrontal cortex damage have serious difficulties with decision making [4]. Even when they possess the complete rational view, they are not able to make a decision on what choice is preferable because their brain is not able to take into consideration the consequence of the decision. This indicates that emotions play a vital function in effective decision-making because they allow the brain to predict future outcomes and impart meaning to multiple options.

Therefore, when a person is faced with a series of options, he does not just weigh their advantages and disadvantages, but also which of them are positively associated. This concept is very much relevant in advertising. Consumers do not just choose logically but are also swayed by their emotions. This is especially seen in impulse purchases. This definition of the behavioral component is based on some of the well-known theoretical models that explain the nature and functions of emotions from the point of view of different scientific approaches. Cognitive, evolutionary, and social theories are the most important ones.

The cognitive approach emphasizes that emotional reactions are not automatic or simply physiological but are built on the basis of what an individual perceives and comprehends is happening. According to him, they come about as a result of an inner cognitive analysis of the significance of an event in relation to an individual’s objectives, values, or past. The same external stimulus can evoke opposite emotions in different individuals exactly because each person appraises the situation to himself. The most significant theory is that of Richard Lazarus, which argues that emotions are not a reflex to stimuli but rather the result of a cognitive assessment of an event’s relevance to an individual.