HIPE Human-technology interoperability and artificial emotional intelligence - Final Report

The HIPE project has demonstrated the technical feasibility and practical value of emotion-aware services in physical spaces, leveraging advances in multimodal sensing, AI-driven analytics, and collaborative system design. Proof-of-concept implementations in public transport and meeting environments have shown that real-time emotion, behaviour and activity indicators based on group-level measurements can enhance user experience, safety, and operational efficiency. These results highlight the potential for adaptive environments that respond to collective mood and engagement, supporting more human-centric and responsive services. However, several challenges remain for broader adoption, including technical limitations in emotion recognition accuracy, integration of diverse sensor types, scalable data fusion pipelines, and compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR and AI Act. The lack of harmonization in regulatory definitions and liability frameworks creates uncertainty for developers and users, while the focus on data identification in privacy regulation risks making compliance impractical for future AI systems. From a business perspective, the market for emotion-aware services is poised for growth, driven by increasing demand for personalized, adaptive environments in sectors like transportation, offices, and retail. Realizing this potential depends on overcoming technical, regulatory, and cultural barriers, as well as developing sustainable business models. The HIPE Perceptor concept, while promising, illustrates the need for ongoing innovation in sensing technologies, algorithms, and privacy solutions. Ultimately, the responsible deployment of emotion-aware services will require a balance between technological capability, ethical principles, and legal compliance, supported byclear regulatory guidance and positive incentives for innovation.