Algorithmic Empathy: Designing AI to Preserve Human Connections in an Aging Society

As the global population ages, technological innovations must address increasing social disconnection, especially among older adults. This paper introduces "Algorithmic Empathy," a framework integrating human-computer interaction (HCI), natural language processing (NLP), and ethical artificial intelligence (AI) to preserve human connection. Focusing on Japan as a case study, the paper explores real-world uses of empathetic AI, identifies shortcomings in current care robots, and proposes a deployable architecture with cultural and emotional adaptability. Our framework promotes emotional support in caregiving situations, combining multimodal emotion recognition, ethical safeguards, and culturally responsive design.