The
present article aims at providing an overview of the studies and research that,
in the last years, have applied the principles of Affective Computing (Picard,
1995) to education, particularly in the supporting and developing of social and
emotional competences in subjects with special educational needs. The
analysis of this particular kind of emotional Artificial Intelligence
able to process, understand and in some instances even replicate the user’s
emotional states, will be the starting point for a reflection on the
convergence of emotional intelligence and Affective Computing, in order to
analyze their potential in helping all students, not just those with specific
disabilities, to acquire and strengthen their interpersonal and intrapersonal
skills.