Emotional Support Conversation

Emotional support conversation (ESC) research focuses on developing AI systems capable of providing empathetic and effective emotional support through dialogue. Current research emphasizes improving the accuracy and fluency of AI-generated responses, often employing large language models (LLMs) enhanced with techniques like dynamic demonstration retrieval, cognitive understanding modules, and hierarchical graph networks to better understand user emotional states and tailor responses accordingly. This field is significant because it holds the potential to improve mental health support accessibility and effectiveness, particularly for individuals who may not have access to traditional therapeutic resources. Ongoing work addresses challenges such as mitigating biases in LLM responses and ensuring consistent adherence to appropriate support strategies throughout extended conversations.