Imagine a stuffed animal that alters its behavior in response to a child’s emotional state, a commercial that changes based on a customer’s facial expression, or a device that can actually create feelings as though you were experiencing them naturally. This is the next giant step in the relationship between humans and technology: emotionally aware computers and social robots that recognize, respond to, and even influence our emotions. Because emotion is such a core aspect of who we are, these technologies will eventually be able to respond to our needs before we’re even aware of them ourselves. But how will they change us and what will be the unintended consequences of emotional machines?