Emotional Machines: The Role of AI in Processing Collective Trauma for a Healing Society

Abstrak

This paper explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support societies in processing collective trauma, and addressing the psychological and societal impacts of shared hardships like wars, pandemics, and natural disasters. By examining certain AI’s capacity to document, preserve, and facilitate healing from collective trauma, this paper discusses how AI-driven tools can enhance resilience and social cohesion in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), specifically focusing on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). The paper proposes that AI’s applications in trauma documentation, virtual therapy, and community-based healing initiatives can act as innovative resources for individual and societal recovery. However, the ethical considerations of deploying AI in such sensitive areas are pivotal such as issues of privacy, cultural sensitivity, and the need for genuine empathy are critical. Primarily, a responsible, ethically-guided AI framework in Society 5.0 could transform trauma processing, enabling global communities to heal and progress together toward a more compassionate and resilient future.