2026 Kabiller Science of Empathy Conference: AI & Empathy

Professor William Brady will host this year’s conference to further advance our understanding of empathy and its impact on business. June 25 – 26, 2026
Register here

Date: June 25th – June 26th
Location: Kellogg Global Hub
2211 N Campus Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
Room 5101

Register here

 

The Kabiller Science of Empathy Prize is awarded biennially to a Kellogg faculty member and an alum, whose work advances our understanding of empathy and its impact in business and society. In November 2025, Professor William Brady was awarded the prize for his research on how emerging technologies —like artificial intelligence and algorithms — shape human psychology, particularly in digital environments.

Hosted by Professor Brady as part of the prize award, this conference brings together researchers across psychology, computer science, human-computer interaction, and the behavioral sciences to examine a central question: Can empathy be embedded into AI systems, and what happens to humans when it is? We’ll share emerging research on the psychology of empathic interaction with AI and machines and build cross-disciplinary bridges to push research forward.

Agenda

  • Time

    Session
    9:00-9:05am Welcome & Framing
    Session 1: Foundations — What Is Empathic AI?

    9:05-9:30am

    		 Mohammed Atari — Is Empathic AI Possible? (20min + 5 Q&A)

    9:30-9:55am

    		 Anat Perry — The Artificial-Empathy Paradox: Why Human Empathy Still Matters (20 min + 5 Q&A)

    9:55-10:20am

    		 M.J. Crockett — Empathy, Thick and Thin (20min + 5 Q&A)

    10:20-10:40am

    		  Coffee Break
    Session 2: Bright & Dark Sides of AI Empathy

    10:40-11:05am

    		 Desmond Ong — The Bright and Dark Sides of AI-Generated Empathy: LLMpathy and AI Sycophancy (20min + 5 Q&A)

    11:05-11:30am

    		 Briana Vecchione — Artificial Entanglement: What Happens When People Turn to AI for Mental Health Care? (20min + 5 Q&A)

    11:30-11:55am

    		 Steve Rathje — Sycophantic AI Increases Attitude Extremity and Overconfidence (20min + 5 Q&A)

    12:00-1:00pm

    Lunch
    Session 3: Applications — AI as Empathy Tool

    1:00-1:25pm

    		 William Brady — MirrorView: An AI Tool to Increase Perspective-Taking in Political Content Moderation (20 + 5)

    1:25-1:50pm

    		 Matt Groh — Practicing with Language Models Cultivates Human Empathic Communication (20 + 5)

    1:50-2:10pm

    		 Afternoon Coffee Break
    Session 4: Boundaries & Cultural Dimensions

    2:10-2:35pm

    		 Joshua Jackson — What Robot Priests Can Teach Us About the Limits of Automation (20 + 5)

    2:35-3:00pm

    		 Mahnaz Roshanaei — Talk, Listen, Connect: Navigating Empathy in Human-AI Interaction in Responses to Emotionally Charged Narratives (20 + 5)

    3:00-3:45pm

    		 Closing Panel / Open Discussion — Designing Empathic AI That Strengthens Human Connection

    3:45-4:00pm

    		 Closing Remarks

    4:00pm onward

    		 Reception in Room 4101

  • Collaborative Idea Generation (By special invitation-only)

    Time

    Session
    9:00am - 12:00pm Scialog Team Generation

About David Kabiller

David G. Kabiller ’85, ’87 MBA is the co-founder and the head of business development at AQR Capital Management and a member of Northwestern University’s Board of Trustees. His previous philanthropic support of Northwestern has included the Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine and the Kabiller Young Investigator Award in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine, among other investments.

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