AI’s advance into the workplace is causing various ripples. For example, AI is invading white-collar workplaces, reducing the number of white-collar workers. This AI influence is also beginning to infiltrate the realm of “emotional labor.” There is a third type of labor, with value distinct from blue-collar and white-collar labor. This is “emotional labor.” Emotional labor involves direct customer contact, such as in the service industry, and requires smiling and welcoming. Emotional labor requires controlling emotions, such as suppressing discomfort. Looking at turnover rates within three years of employment by industry, the “accommodation and food service industry” stands out, at over 50%. This shows that emotional labor has a high turnover rate. If we could create a system to reduce turnover rates in emotional labor, it could help alleviate Japan’s high turnover problem.
Is there a way to alleviate the anxiety felt by emotional laborers? While fortune tellers and computerized readings have long been used to alleviate anxiety, psychotherapists now play a key role. Psychotherapy is deeply rooted in Christian cultures, that the custom of confessing and revealing one’s innermost worries is deeply rooted. Perhaps this cultural context contributes to the popularity of psychotherapy. In the United States, people effectively utilize psychotherapy (counseling) for daily self-management. They visit psychotherapists just as they would a fitness club to train their bodies. It’s as if they’re training their minds. Worryingly, the number of patients is increasing year by year in both Japan and the West. The shortage of experts appears to be a major issue.
Emotional AI appears to be a quick solution to this problem. For example, approximately 70% of hosts in Kabukicho use conversational AI such as “Chat GPT.” They don’t just seek advice on customer service from conversational AI. They confide in people about the difficulties of their work and their anxieties about the future, and say they find comfort in the words of the AI. Emotional labor is a customer service job that requires intentionally expressing favorable emotions to customers. Until now, people had to choose between pushing their frustration onto someone else or keeping it to themselves. However, a situation is emerging that the pain of emotional labor can be alleviated by interacting with AI. It seems that an environment in which emotional AI can be utilized is gradually being established in various fields.
