Is AI more empathetic than humans? A new study suggests it might be

Kaycee Enerva

13th Nov 2025

Artificial intelligence may not have feelings, but it might just be better at acting like it does.

New research shows AI-powered agents are outperforming their human counterparts when it comes to demonstrating empathy in one of the most emotionally demanding workplaces, the call centre.

According to the 2025 Australian Contact Centre Industry Best Practice Report, 64 per cent of contact centres now say AI is meeting or exceeding expectations, up from 47 per cent last year, with only 9 per cent reporting no plans to implement the technology.

Once notorious for burnout and high turnover, contact centres are finding that AI not only boosts efficiency but also supports worker wellbeing.

A study published in Nature: Scientific Reports found that AI assistance in customer support roles led to a 15 per cent increase in productivity, particularly among less experienced employees.

The same study noted more polite customer interactions and fewer requests to “speak to a supervisor,” helping ease the emotional strain on staff.

Data from Germany also found that workers exposed to AI reported better health and higher job satisfaction than those without AI support; a finding that challenges long-held fears about automation replacing human empathy.

“The benefits of AI call agents mean employers can really look after their team’s wellbeing while also scaling their business,” said Kosala Aravinda, COO at Blockstars Technology.

“Our most recent major client adopted AI solely to improve the mental health of their staff.”

Aravinda added that AI integration allows businesses to offload emotionally charged or repetitive calls, reducing stress and improving morale.

“One of our recent clients not only achieved operational efficiency but also saw better agent morale and fewer absences after introducing AI-assisted routing of emotionally intensive calls,” he concluded.

• This story was originally published on Inside Small Business.