Emotional Intelligence in Artificial Intelligence: Can AI Truly Evoke Human Emotions through Design?

The swift adoption of artificial intelligence in visual communication has also revolutionised how images are perceived, created, and understood. This paper critically questions whether artificial intelligence can truly elicit human emotions through design, or whether it is merely a simulation of affective responses driven by computational patterns. Based on the traditional theories of emotional design and affective computing, especially the contributions of Donald Norman and Rosalind Picard, the paper discusses the connection between human cognition, emotional involvement, and machine-generated visuals. Norman’s framework of visceral, behavioural, and reflective design is used to comprehend how visual elements evoke emotional reactions, while Picard’s concept of affective computing helps explain how machines detect and imitate emotional responses. It is a qualitative and interpretative study that focuses on the analysis of selected examples of artificial intelligence-created visual products in digital media and advertising settings. It also engages with philosophical accounts of emotion, such as constructivist perspectives that challenge the universality and measurability of emotional experience. The results indicate that although artificial intelligence can create visually stimulating content that influences user perception and interaction, it is still unable to generate real emotional depth due to its lack of lived experience and cultural awareness. Emotional resonance in design, therefore, remains reliant on human intention, contextual understanding, and cultural sensitivity. This work contributes to the ongoing discourse on human–machine creativity by positioning artificial intelligence as a supplementary, rather than substitutive, element of the emotional intelligence of the designer in contemporary visual communication practices.