What's Emotional Intelligence Got To Do With AI?

With the release of GPT-4.5, it seems everyone is talking about EQ–or emotional intelligence–in AI. So… what exactly is EQ, and how will it impact AI tools used to enhance the customer experience?

“Emotional intelligence” has traditionally been used to describe humans’ receptiveness and understanding to one another’s emotions. It can also be applied to AI to describe an AI model’s understanding of human emotions and expectations. 

EQ is part of what’s responsible for an LLM’s ability to understand emotional queues in a user’s prompts or responses, determining not just what information should be included in an output, but how to deliver that information. 

4.5–big deal or no?

GPT-4.5 places increased emphasis on EQ. According to an article by Sean Michael Kerner for TechTarget, “GPT-4.5 is a shift from OpenAI's o1 and o3 models, which focus on reasoning capabilities. Instead, GPT-4.5 is a general-purpose LLM targeted at providing more natural, fluid interactions that are humanlike.”

Some tangible updates of 4.5 increased EQ include: 

• Fewer AI “hallucinations” or invented facts
• Natural conversation–like a human, 4.5 has expanded capabilities on building context from a conversation and responding naturally.
• Situational awareness–4.5 users describe its ability to “read the room” better than previous OpenAI models. It’s more likely to grasp nuances of tone and language of a user and respond accordingly. 

While there’s debate as to whether 4.5 should be considered a frontier model, it shines a light on an increasing shift towards fostering EQ in AI, and suggests further advancements to come. 

Which brings me EQ and the customer experience

Beyond the immediate impacts of 4.5, it’s worth considering what a shifting emphasis towards EQ means for the future of AI in business development.

As AI becomes further integrated into our tech stacks, the EQ of AI models and agents is key to maintaining a superior customer experience. AI tools are a great way to increase efficiency, serve more customers, and reduce sales cycles. But it’s crucial that businesses continue to meet customer expectations when using AI tools. 

EQ is a crucial factor in AI tools that actually work to enhance the customer experience. 

As EQ improves across AI tools, here are some customer experience developments we can expect:

• Chatbots – AI chatbots need EQ to determine when to escalate a chat to a human agent. As EQ develops, chatbots will not only produce better responses, but be able to pick up on language and tone nuances to understand when a support ticket might need to be escalated. 
• Timed communications – higher EQ will allow predictive AI to time sales and marketing communications more accurately, reducing communication fatigue and churn risks.  
• Predictive content – a deeper understanding of customer behavior, expectations, and interests will improve the accuracy and depth of predictive content. 

EQ and collaboration–a boon for sales & marketing teams

Another quality attributed to 4.5 is its ability to “collaborate”. Instead of simply generating static outputs based on a prompt, AI with higher EQ can engage in more fluid, iterative exchanges—adjusting tone, refining messaging, and even recognizing when clarification or deeper insight is needed.

The ability of AI tools to “collaborate” with users makes them more feasible resources for Sales and Marketing experts. Tasks like drafting sales pitches, nurture sequences, and marketing content will be more dynamic, allowing AI to refine messaging based on audience tone, engagement, and intent.