When will AI reach human-level emotional intelligence (EQ)?

On paper, it already does. Science, not gurus: the University of Geneva and Bern tested 6 AIs on 5 standard emotional intelligence tests in 2025. AI scored 81%. Humans scored 56%. But first the words. Emotional intelligence, EQ, is reading emotions and reacting to them the right way. Empathy is feeling what another person feels. Compassion is feeling it and acting on it. Where do humans get empathy and compassion? Mostly from hardship. Loss, pain, failure, a hard youth. You learn what hurts by being hurt. AI never lived. Never lost anyone. Never had a hard youth. It learned emotions the way it learned everything: by copying what we wrote down. Our books, our music, our blogs, our history. That is why it passes the test. Knowing what empathy looks like is not feeling it. Can a machine that has read every book on earth understand a single human heart? The uncomfortable part: many people do not have empathy and compassion either. That is where AI gets its chance to reach the human level. The bar is lower than we like to admit. Artificial intelligence learned to talk. Ancient intelligence learned to listen. Pick your sensei.