Affective Artificial Intelligence in E-Learning: Towards Emotion-Aware Educational Technologies for Mental Wellbeing and Inclusion

Abstract

Emotion-aware technologies are increasingly shaping the future of digital education. This paper explores the emerging role of affective artificial intelligence (AAI) in e-learning, with a focus on its potential to support mental wellbeing and inclusive education. AAI systems are designed to detect, interpret, and respond to learners’ emotions through multimodal data, such as facial expressions, voice, and physiological signals. While these technologies offer opportunities for personalized learning, motivation, and empathy-driven feedback, they also raise complex ethical and psychosocial challenges. Issues of privacy, emotional manipulation, bias, and the commodification of student data require careful governance and transparent design. Drawing on a structured literature review and thematic analysis, the paper identifies three central dimensions of affective AI in education: (1) technological capacities and data modalities, (2) pedagogical and psychosocial implications, and (3) ethical, legal and inclusion-related challenges. The discussion highlights both the potential of AAI to foster supportive and equitable learning environments and the risks of reinforcing digital inequalities or undermining autonomy. The paper argues for a bioethical governance approach that balances innovation with safeguards, ensuring that affective AI contributes positively to learners’ wellbeing and to the broader goals of inclusive, human-centred education.