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In a world increasingly shaped by AI, should we retreat in caution or embrace its vast potential? College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) alumnus Michael Connor would claim the latter. Having completed his time at the CEC in 1994, he eventually went on to become the Chief Architect at The Coca-Cola Company and now works as the Head of Generative AI for Retail & Consumer Packaged Goods for Amazon Web Services. At Amazon, he’s contributed to significant breakthroughs, including the use of AI to manage their high-quality product listings and generate engaging advertisements. But on the nights and weekends, he’s working on Chat EQ: an AI-powered web app designed for compassionate communication, teaching its users emotional intelligence. 

Over the past year, while many businesses were just beginning to explore new technologies, Amazon was already integrating generative AI into its daily operations in groundbreaking ways. Connor applied that same approach to his passion project, . After leading an engineering team of 60, Connor realized that miscommunications and hurt feelings often arose from how his employees interacted with one another. From interrupting people to disqualifying someone’s ideas, Connor recalls “I was in a meeting and someone said ‘that’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard’, not even thinking about the impact that would have on the relationship with the other employee.” To build a more effective team, he recognized the need for clear communication, grounded in emotional intelligence. Chat EQ, a free-to-use, AI-powered web application that empowers users with concrete guidance on how to communicate both compassionately and effectively, was born from this realization.

When discussing the forum's origin, Connor said “I started to think about whether emotional intelligence is something that can be learned…initially, I thought it probably wasn’t possible, that it was like IQ where you were kind of born with it or you weren’t. And what I realized pretty quickly was that you can actually teach people emotional intelligence and I think you can do it fairly quickly, and it can have a really powerful effect on relationships.” Personally inspired by clinical psychologist and peacemaker , Connor wanted Chat EQ to help his employees, and beyond that, to help workers alike all across the world. 

Released in April of 2023, Chat EQ uses AI trained on decades of proven conflict resolution research to give users feedback on their issues. “I have a degree in Systems Analysis from Miami, and so to build this it was really important for this to be research-based,” he said. Chat EQ also provides detailed insights into its user's physical and emotional states and suggests conversations to help resolve the conflict. “Right now I just published it as a simple AI-powered web app and it’s available to the world. It’s been crazy—in one day 30,000 people used it.”

Though initially created with the workplace in mind, it’s been adapted by users for a plethora of conflict issues, including navigating personal relationships, parenting, and anger management. “One of the things that we’ve developed now and have yet to release, but hopefully we can get it there soon, is the new AI actually gives you the ability to roleplay.” His goal with this upcoming update is that it can provide interactive coaching, “so that when you go in and talk to your 14-year-old son, you might lead with empathy.”

Aligning closely with CEC’s Socially Engaged Engineering and Computing (SEEC) initiative, Connor’s success story is one that inspires ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to harness their education to make the world a better place. When asked what qualities he would look for in a college graduate if hiring, he stressed the importance of being a well-rounded candidate. “That’s one of the things I liked about my education at Miami,” he said. “I did creative writing, I took marketing, economics, I did core system analysis, I did a lot of psychology, and so I just got exposure to a lot of different things.” Gone are the days when jobs were restricted to one role—more often than not employees are expected to be skilled in multiple areas regardless of their title. Connor affirmed this, saying “People that are well-rounded, that have a variety of skills—that can maybe put together a presentation, work on a database, write some code, talk to a customer—that’s the kind of thing that I think people are looking for more than anything now.” 

At a time when AI continues to redefine the way we live and interact with the world, Michael Connor’s work exemplifies the power of embracing technology’s potential with a human touch. His innovation, inspired by his experiences and a desire to improve communication in the workplace and beyond, serves as a reminder that the future of AI isn’t solely about automation—it’s about enhancing how we understand and relate to one another. For ºÚÁÏÉçÇø ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs and alumni, Connor’s story is a testament to the impact of a well-rounded education and the importance of using technology to make the world a better, more compassionate place.