Integration of Emotionally Intelligent Artificial Intelligence into

Neuromarketing: Attitudes, Opportunities, Challenges

Ana Todorova

and Irina Kostadinova

University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, 8 Studentska Street, Ruse, Bulgaria

Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Marketing, Artificial Intelligence, Consumer Behavior, Neuromarketing.

Abstract: The integration of emotionally intelligent artificial intelligence into neuromarketing promises to revolutionize

the way organizations interact with consumers. This research, based on a survey of 510 marketers and 708

consumers, reveals the complex picture of perceptions and expectations regarding this new technology. Alt-

hough the potential benefits are significant, ethical dilemmas present a major challenge. The report analyzes

the current state of the art of the latest developments in marketing and neuromarketing and thereby contributes

to the development of marketing knowledge. At the same time, the authors offer guidelines for developing

ethical frameworks for the use of emotionally intelligent artificial intelligence.

1 INTRODUCTION

Although marketers are well aware of the limitations

of established traditional market research methods,

only in recent years has science allowed the

development of a more effective mechanism by

which consumer thoughts and emotions can be

deciphered. This relatively innovative approach has

come to be known as neuromarketing (Mihajlovic et

al., 2023). According to Gurgu et al. (2020), this

concept refers to the use of techniques developed by

specialists in cognitive neuroscience and psychology

to analyze and understand people's reactions to

products and promotions. This allows marketers to

refine their efforts and make them more effective.

At the same time, the dynamics in the

development of technology also exert a significant

influence on marketing research and accompanying

business decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI), along

with emerging neuropsychological tools, has

exponentially changed and continues to change the

way marketers collect, store, and analyze the

marketing data they need (Adeola et al., 2022). It is

widely believed that AI has changed the marketing

landscape, enabling improved prediction, precise

personalization, and increasing automation

(Lakshminarayana et al., 2024).

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2993-077X

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8845-7598

What if a different concept, namely emotional

intelligence, was applied to this data-driven

approach? Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined

broadly as the ability to recognize, understand, and

manage emotions, both in oneself and in others. In

recent years, this phenomenon has emerged as a

game-changer and crucial in various aspects of

human development, including interpersonal

relationships, academic and professional success, and

overall well-being (Igbokwe et al., 2023).

The convergence of AI and EI in marketing, and

specifically in neuromarketing, is laying the

groundwork for a transformative era that transcends

traditional approaches to increasing customer

engagement. This synergy, emphasized by modern

marketers, harmonizes data-driven insights with

empathic understanding, creating deeply

personalized consumer experiences. EI's role is to

interpret customer emotions and add depth to AI's

analytical capabilities. The collaboration paradigm

between AI and EI goes beyond transactions to create

empathic connections with customers. As technology

evolves, these insights provide a roadmap for crafting

holistic marketing strategies that resonate on both a

rational and emotional level, promising a future

where businesses create lasting connections in the

dynamic technology landscape (Velmurugan et al.,

2024).

Todorova, A. and Kostadinova, I.

Integration of Emotionally Intelligent Artiﬁcial Intelligence into Neuromarketing: Attitudes, Opportunities, Challenges.

DOI: 10.5220/0013145200003890

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Agents and Artiﬁcial Intelligence (ICAART 2025) - Volume 1, pages 359-366

ISBN: 978-989-758-737-5; ISSN: 2184-433X

359

The purpose of this report is to explore the

attitudes, opportunities and challenges towards and

towards the integration into neuromarketing of the

common construct of AI and EI called emotionally

intelligent artificial intelligence (EI

). Two groups of

respondents from Bulgaria were studied – marketers

(N=510) and consumers (N=708). Although the

application of the EI

is analyzed specifically in

neuromarketing, the study uses the general term

marketing. The reason for avoiding the term

neuromarketing is that the authors of the study

explore the expectations and barriers to and to the

implementation of EI

in general, assuming that they

can also be seen as opportunities and challenges to the

upgrade of traditional marketing to neuromarketing.

The study is structured as follows: 1) The literary

background examines the three key concepts –

artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence, and

neuromarketing, as well as the intersection between

the first two – emotionally intelligent artificial

intelligence; 2) The methodology was built and the

research sample was formed; 3) Analyzing and

discussing the obtained results; 4) Relevant

conclusions are formulated.

2 LITERARY BACKGROUND

Many studies have highlighted the limitations of

traditional market research methods, as these studies

are mainly based on declarative data and information

– what the interviewee states, which may differ from

their actual thinking. These established methods can

be upgraded through neuromarketing or the

application of neuroscientific methods and

knowledge in marketing approaches.

Neuromarketing is defined as an interdisciplinary

field that combines psychology, neuroscience, and

economics (Mouammine & Azdimousa, 2019). It is

also described as a method that measures brain waves,

eye movements, and skin conductance to analyze

reactions to advertisements and information related to

a given brand. It is a relatively new field of marketing

that draws heavily from neuroscience and psychology

in its quest to market brands inspired by human

cognitive and emotional responses (Yadav, 2024).

In neuromarketing, the brain and nervous system

are observed, with the aim of understanding

instinctive human behaviour in terms of cognitions

and emotions, as well as conscious and unconscious

states, in response to marketing stimuli and activities.

Thus, the knowledge resulting from each

neuromarketing study contributes to the advancement

and development of marketing theory in general and

the planning and implementation of marketing

strategies and commercial marketing objectives in a

specific organization (Varghese, 2022).

For its part, AI is defined as the creation of

intelligent computer systems composed of analytical

processes whose purpose is to propose solutions and

algorithms that improve our daily lives and also to

study human behaviour through data collection

(Mouammine & Azdimousa, 2019). Machine

learning algorithms can look at vast amounts of data

to predict how people will act, make marketing

strategies more effective, and send personalized

materials to each person in real time

(Lakshminarayana et al., 2024). Results of a recent

empirical study conducted among Bulgarian

entrepreneurs show that business considers as

positive aspects of AI a reduction of time and

financial costs by automating routine processes and

tasks, including in the marketing of the activities of

extracting data from customers and in the analysis of

extensive market data (Kirova & Boneva, 2024).

Neuromarketing and AI will be very important in

the future of marketing in order to understand

people's behaviour and create personalized

experiences. Market research, data analysis, and the

application of AI are valuable tools for gaining deeper

insight into consumer behaviour (Juárez-Varón et al.,

2024). As it turns out, neuromarketing uses methods

from neuroscience to peer into people's subconscious

and know what they like and how they make

decisions. Against this backdrop, AI-powered

chatbots and virtual assistants are expected to

improve customer interactions by providing them

with instant assistance and personalized suggestions.

Combined with a common tool, neuromarketing

insights and AI capabilities help marketers craft

campaigns that are both highly targeted and

emotionally powerful. In this way, customer

engagement will be achieved at a deeper level

(Lakshminarayana et al., 2024).

From what has been said so far, it is clear that AI

refers to the technique of creating computer systems

that can perform tasks that require human

intelligence. AI is a discipline that tries to emulate

human behaviour based on immutable, reproducible

and universal hardware. However, AI has been

criticized for its lack of understanding of the basic

principles of life – emotions, ethical and moral issues,

and environmental criteria (Vicci, 2024), leading

scientists to try to create emotionally intelligent

artificial intelligence.

But why exactly is emotionally intelligent? EI has

been identified as vital to human interactions. People

with higher EI scores are thought to suffer from less

ICAART 2025 - 17th International Conference on Agents and Artiﬁcial Intelligence

360

stress and show better professional performance. This

leads several authors to conclude that higher levels of

EI positively affect the performance of managers

(Todorova, 2024). EI

, on the other hand, is defined

as an in-depth study of the application of emotional

processes in learning and reasoning. AI with

emotional capabilities, or emotional AI, assists AI

systems in better understanding a given task or

problem. Indeed, EI

refers to technologies that are

claimed to be able to recognize and sense human

emotions successfully (Vicci, 2024).

The intersection of AI and EI – EI

– ushers in a

revolutionary era in the marketing landscape and a

paradigm shift. It leapfrogs traditional approaches

and introduces innovative and hyper-personalized

data-driven strategies with empathic understanding to

increase customer engagement. This harmonization

paves the way for the creation of profoundly

personalized and engaging customer experiences,

where AI augments analytical capabilities and EI

provides a nuanced understanding of human emotions

(Velmurugan et al., 2024). Decoding consumer

emotions and behaviour through the application of

changes the marketing game in at least the

following aspects (Mouammine & Azdimousa, 2019;

Yadav, 2024; Velmurugan et al., 2024): Loyalty:

Building customer loyalty to a specific brand is

fostered by emotional connections and leads to

scaling success for both parties; Personalization: The

insights reached through EI

tools allow for more

precise personalization in relation to the marketing

campaigns carried out; Satisfaction: Respecting and

accepting the specific expectations of specific users

improves the satisfaction of the latter; Forecasting:

and the reading of emotions increase the

competitive advantage of the respective brand by

allowing closer planning and forecasting and

reducing the risk of errors; Effectiveness: Including an

emotional aspect in communications – an aspect that

resonates positively with the emotions of the relevant

target group of users, will make the messages even

more impactful and effective;

The application possibilities of EI

and emotions

in marketing cannot be covered in the highlights

summarized above. The unifying factor behind all of

the listed, but possibly unaddressed, aspects of the

importance of emotions and the EI

is the

understanding that emotions play a significant role in

the decision-making process. It should not be

underestimated that the market and digital

advancements are pressuring the modern consumer

with various "special" offers, just a click away. It is

not surprising that this often leads to impulsive and

irrational buying (Mouammine & Azdimousa, 2019),

i.e. based on emotions.

Although research related to EI

has grown

significantly over the past five years, there is still a

lack of comprehensive studies on the degree of

adoption (attitudes, expectations, fears) of this data-

and emotion-based marketing tool by the two most

affected by its implementation groups: marketers and

consumers. The authors of this report set themselves

the goal of researching this niche precisely, placing

the question in the context of the Bulgarian market

and the accompanying marketing activities and

consumer behaviour.

3 METHODOLOGY

The purpose of the research is to identify attitudes,

opportunities and challenges towards and in the use

of marketing tools with EI

. Achieving the objective

thus formulated requires an approach that

encompasses both qualitative and quantitative data.

The research methodology is based on the following

research methods: 1) Systematic Review: This is

included in the Literature Background. The aim is to

build a theoretical understanding of the research

object –EI

– by tracing the correlations between EI,

AI, and neuromarketing concepts. The applied

method is a systematic review of scientific articles,

books, reports, and other relevant sources found in

databases such as Scopus, ResearchGate, Web of

Science, Google Scholar, etc.; 2) Surveying:

necessary to obtain primary data on the perceptions,

attitudes and experiences of consumers, marketers

and marketing experts. Questionnaires were

developed and used, and they were distributed online

and through face-to-face meetings with different

groups of respondents. The time frame of the

conducted surveys is June 1-September 30, 2024. In

this case, the survey aims to cover the two main

groups interested in the use of EI

in marketing,

namely marketers and consumers:

 Marketers: the sample was formed on the

database of the National Statistical Institute

(NSI) in Bulgaria (NSI, 2023a), according to

which those employed as of 31.12.2023 in

Sector M "Professional activities and scientific

research" (to which Marketing is included

(OPHRD, 2021) as an activity) are over 114

thousand people. Therefore, the recommended

sample size is 383 people (at a confidence level

of 95% and a margin of error of 5%). The

survey form was distributed among

representatives and employees of marketing

Integration of Emotionally Intelligent Artiﬁcial Intelligence into Neuromarketing: Attitudes, Opportunities, Challenges

361

agencies through personal communication, in-

dustry e-mail newsletters, webinars, confer-

ences, etc. The questionnaire includes 9 ques-

tions (RQ

) with a selectable answer on a Lik-

ert scale. Also included is one question with

four preset answers and an option for respond-

ents to write in.

 Consumers: The sample was formed on the ba-

sis of Bulgaria's population, conditionally as-

suming that every citizen is a potential con-

sumer. According to NSI data (2023b), the pop-

ulation of Bulgaria as of 31.12.2023 is

6,445,481 people. Therefore, the recommended

sample size is 385 (at a confidence level of 95%

and a margin of error of 5%). The survey form

was distributed among Bulgarian citizens

through personal communication, social net-

works, e-mail newsletters from various social

organizations, training, etc. The questionnaire

includes 8 questions (RQ

) with a selectable

answer on a Likert scale.

The wording of the questions avoided referring to

neuromarketing as potentially new and/or insuffi-

ciently known by both marketers and consumers.

Such a limitation is placed because, above all, the re-

search seeks information in general about attitudes,

opportunities, and challenges towards and for the im-

plementation of EI

, which can also be seen as op-

portunities and challenges for the upgrade of tradi-

tional marketing to neuromarketing.

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Five hundred ten employees (N=510), experts and

managers employed in the field of marketing re-

sponded to the survey. The questions for those em-

ployed in the field of marketing are:

RQ1

: Your level of familiarity with marketing tools

using EI

is.

RQ2

: Using EI

marketing tools would improve the

effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

RQ3

: The use of marketing tools with EI

would

lead to a better understanding of consumer behav-

iour.

RQ4

: Do you think the use of EI

marketing tools

will increase in the next 5 years?

RQ5

: Do you think the use of EI

marketing tools

poses a threat to data privacy?

RQ6

: I expect that EI

marketing tools will become

more accessible to small businesses.

RQ7

: I believe it is crucial to invest in the develop-

ment of EI

marketing tools.

RQ8

: I believe that personalized marketing

messages based on emotions are more effective.

RQ9

: I think it is necessary to create strict reg-

ulations for the use of marketing tools with EI

The results of the survey are presented in Table 1

and Figure 1. The data show that Bulgarian marketing

specialists have a relatively good knowledge of mar-

keting tools using EI

(RQ1

). With varying degrees

of certainty, 150 people or 29% of respondents con-

firm this. At the same time, a significant share of mar-

keters – more than half of the respondents or 287

(56%) are not aware of this relatively new concept.

On the other hand, a considerable number of respond-

ents – 407 (79%) agreed that EI

would improve the

effectiveness of marketing campaigns (RQ2

). Only

18 people, or 4% of the respondents, disagreed with

this statement. Respondents were no less adamant

about whether marketing tools with EI

would lead

to a better understanding of consumer behaviour

(RQ3

). This conclusion is supported to varying de-

grees by 453 (68%) of the respondents. There are 8

(2%) who disagree, with a significant share of spe-

cialists without a clear opinion – 152 (30%) of the re-

spondents.

Table 1: Answers to the questions asked to those employed

in the field of marketing, according to a 5-point Likert scale:

1 = Not at all; 2 = Rather not; 3 = I'm not sure; 4 = Rather

yes; 5 = For sure. Source: The authors.

Likert

Scale

1 2 3 4 5

RQ1

(

N=510

)

190

(

37%

)

(

19%

)

(

14%

)

(

)

114

(

22%

)

RQ2

(N=510)

(0%)

(4%)

(17%)

170

(33%)

237

(46%)

RQ3

(N=510)

(0%)

(2%)

152

(30%)

103

(20%)

247

(48%)

RQ4

(

N=510

)

(

)

(

)

(

15%

)

146

(

29%

)

279

(

55%

)

RQ5

(N=510)

(2%)

111

(22%)

139

(27%)

145

(28%)

105

(21%)

RQ6

(N=510)

(3%)

(5%)

174

(34%)

214

(42%)

(16%)

RQ7

(

N=510

)

(

19%

)

(

)

(

19%

)

102

(

20%

)

183

(

36%

)

RQ8

(

N=510

)

(

)

(

)

(

)

198

(

39%

)

290

(

57%

)

RQ9

(N=510)

(0%)

(17%)

425

(83%)

These results can be explained by the lack of

knowledge (from the point of view of RQ1

) about

marketing tools with EI

, which quite naturally in-

cludes mistrust of their effectiveness. At the same

time, 425 (84%) of marketers confirm to varying de-

grees that the use of EI

marketing tools will increase

ICAART 2025 - 17th International Conference on Agents and Artiﬁcial Intelligence

362

in the next 5 years (RQ4

). A considerable number of

respondents – 79 (15%) – cannot take a definite posi-

tion on the formulated statement, and only 6 people

(1%) rather disagree.

Figure 1: Answers to the questions asked to those employed

in the field of marketing (N=510), according to a 5-point

Likert scale: 1 = Not at all; 2 = Rather not; 3 = I'm not sure;

4 = Rather yes; 5 = For sure. Source: The authors.

Regarding the question of whether the use of EI

marketing tools poses a threat to data privacy, a mod-

erate assertiveness of the expressed positions is ob-

served (RQ5

). Although 121 (24%) of those asked

disagree with the statement to varying degrees and

139 (27%) have no opinion, almost 1/2 of the re-

spondents or 250 (49%) agree. A similar result is seen

in the following statement, namely that EI

market-

ing tools will become more accessible to small busi-

nesses (RQ6

). 294 (58%) of the respondents share

this opinion, while 42 (8%) disagree. The number of

respondents whose answers were without a clearly

expressed opinion increased significantly – 174

(34%) of the respondents. An interesting finding can

also be made when examining the results of the sev-

enth statement and whether it is essential to invest in

the development of EI

marketing tools (RQ7

This opinion is shared by 285 (56%) of the marketers,

and those who disagree to varying degrees are twice

as many – 126 (25%). 99 (19%) of the respondents

have no expressed opinion. The data here correlates

somewhat negatively with the data from (RQ3

where nearly 70% of respondents believe that EI

marketing tools would lead to a better understanding

of consumer behaviour. At the same time, only half

(56%) of respondents believe that it is essential to in-

vest in the development of EI

marketing tools. It is

unclear how these specialists would have achieved

the effectiveness they expected without counter-in-

vestment in the development and improvement of

such marketing tools.

The responses to the statement that personalized

marketing messages based on emotions are more ef-

fective (RQ8

) are striking in their categoricalness.

The opinion is shared by 488 (96%) of the marketers,

with only 22 (4%) not having a clear opinion. None

of the respondents expressed disagreement. These re-

sults reinforce the established opinion about the

power of emotions in marketing, also identified in the

theoretical background of this report. As Mouammine

and Azdimousa (2024) point out, emotions are ubiq-

uitous in the marketing context and play a significant

role in processing information, influencing responses

to persuasive messages, and measuring the effects of

marketing stimuli. Even more unequivocal is market-

ers' opinion regarding the need to create strict rules

for the use of marketing tools with EI

(RQ9

). Alt-

hough to varying degrees, 510 (100%) of the respond-

ents fully agree with the statement. This demonstrates

an important fact – legislation on the protection and

use of personal data by companies lags or does not

match the development of AI applications.

The answers to the last question to marketers con-

firm the formulated conclusion regarding the use of

personal data in marketing based on EI

. When it was

possible to mark more than one answer, as well as to

specify a different one from those specified, to the

question The biggest challenge in implementing EI

marketing tools is…: 425 people (83%) indicated

Ethical considerations; 340 people (67%) indicate

Lack of technical knowledge; 315 people (62%) indi-

cate The high price; 85 people (17%) indicate Em-

ployee resistance. None of the respondents added an-

swers other than those already formulated. A signifi-

cant number of people identified a lack of knowledge

and high development costs as barriers to implement-

ing EI

tools. Even less of a factor is employee re-

sistance. It is obvious that the most significant obsta-

cle to the integration of EI

is the ethical considera-

tions, which, to some extent, are available due to the

lack of an established norm for the application of this

type of marketing tool. Moreover, the question of

how ethically it is to use the emotionality of consum-

ers to move them along the consumer funnel or path

is a delicate one. The answer to this question is also

the dividing line between manipulation and conscious

consumer decision.

On the consumer side, the survey managed to

reach 708 people (N=708). The results of the survey

are presented in Figure 2 and Table 2. From a con-

sumer perspective, the research seeks answers to the

following questions:

RQ1

: I believe that companies that use EI

market-

ing tools are transparent about how they collect and

use my data.

RQ2

: I want to know how EI

marketing tools ana-

lyze my emotions.

RQ3

: I appreciate it when marketing messages are

personalized based on my emotions.

Integration of Emotionally Intelligent Artiﬁcial Intelligence into Neuromarketing: Attitudes, Opportunities, Challenges

363

RQ4

: I believe that personalized marketing mes-

sages based on emotions are more effective.

RQ5

: I want to receive more personalized market-

ing messages based on my emotions.

RQ6

: I believe that using EI

marketing tools is ma-

nipulating and unethical.

RQ7

: I think it is necessary to create strict regula-

tions for the use of marketing tools with EI

RQ8

: I would like to have more control over how my

emotional data is used in marketing.

Respondents' responses showed an interesting po-

larity regarding whether consumers believe that com-

panies using EI

marketing tools are transparent

about how they collect and use their data (RQ1

More than half of the respondents – 382 (54%) agree

with the statement to varying degrees, 159 (22%)

have no opinion, and a similar number –167 (24%)

rather disagree or do not agree at all. However, a sur-

prisingly high proportion of consumers express trust

in brands using their personal data in their marketing

campaigns. This correlates negatively with recent re-

search that shows consumers increasingly focus on

whether the companies they provide their personal in-

formation to are protecting their privacy by protecting

that information and using it responsibly. The major-

ity of consumers do not trust these companies to do

this (PwC, 2017). The following question provides a

possible explanation.

Absolutely, all survey participants indicated in

varying degrees that they would like to know how an

marketing tools analyzes their emotions (RQ2

This response shows the typical human curiosity

about how a process or phenomenon occurs, but it

also demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge re-

garding how companies collect data to power their

marketing operations. This conclusion can also be in-

terpreted as a kind of explanation for why so many

Bulgarian consumers are convinced that companies

collect and use their personal data more transparently.

If users are not really aware of how EI

tools work,

do they even treat their emotions as marketable per-

sonal data? Do they realize the danger to themselves

that comes with such knowledge left in the hands of

marketing teams?

When consumers were asked whether they appre-

ciated when marketing messages were personalized

based on their emotions (RQ3

), again, a significant

polarity was observed in the positions expressed. A

substantial number of respondents – 363 (51%) sup-

port the statement to varying degrees. Although

smaller, the number of those who disagree is no less

significant – 283 (40%) strongly or rather disagree.

At the same time, the share of those expressing uncer-

tainty is only 9% or 62 of those asked. The inferred

data are somewhat corroborated by the responses to

the next question seeking information on whether

consumers share the opinion that personalized mar-

keting messages based on emotions are more effec-

tive (RQ4

Figure 2: Answers to the questions asked to customers

(N=708), according to a 5-point Likert scale: 1 = Not at all;

2 = Rather not; 3 = I'm not sure; 4 = Rather yes; 5 = For

sure. Source: The authors.

Although a large percentage of consumers (40%)

do not value highly when marketing messages are

personalized based on their emotions, a significant

share of respondents – 65% or 465 of those asked to

varying degrees – believe that personalized marketing

messages based on emotions are more – efficient. Ac-

cordingly, only 132 (19%) rather disagree, and 111

(16%) do not have a clear position.

Table 2: Answers to the questions asked to customers, ac-

cording to a 5-point Likert scale: 1 = Not at all; 2 = Rather

not; 3 = I'm not sure; 4 = Rather yes; 5 = For sure. Source:

The authors.

Likert

Scale

1 2 3 4 5

RQ1

(N=708)

112

(16%)

(8%)

159

(22%)

167

(24%)

215

(30%)

RQ2

(

N=708

)

(

)

(

)

(

)

142

(

20%

)

566

(

80%

)

RQ3

(N=708)

254

(36%)

(4%)

(9%)

(13%)

271

(38%)

RQ4

(N=708)

(0%)

132

(19%)

111

(16%)

237

(33%)

228

(32%)

RQ5

(

N=708

)

(

)

141

(

20%

)

283

(

40%

)

142

(

20%

)

131

(

19%

)

RQ6

(

N=708

)

(

)

(

)

(

)

284

(

40%

)

424

(

60%

)

RQ7

(N=708)

(0%)

385

(54%)

323

(46%)

RQ8

(

N=708

)

112

(

16%

)

(

)

159

(

22%

)

167

(

24%

)

215

(

30%

)

The subsequent question directly answers whether

consumers would like to receive more personalized

marketing messages based on their emotions (RQ5

The highest is the share of respondents who are not

ICAART 2025 - 17th International Conference on Agents and Artiﬁcial Intelligence

364

sure of their answer – 40% or 283 of those asked, fol-

lowed by those who strongly agree – 39% or 273 of

those surveyed, and those who strongly or rather dis-

agree – 22% or 152 respondents.

Again, a likely reason for not giving a definite an-

swer on the part of almost one second of the respond-

ents is the ignorance of EI

tools and their applica-

tion by marketers.

The distinction between the fine line of manipula-

tion and conscious consumer decision explores the

following question posed in the survey, namely

whether consumers believe that using EI

marketing

tools is manipulating and unethical. Expectedly or

not, the opinion of the respondents was strongly ex-

pressed, with 100% of respondents to varying degrees

supporting the statement (RQ6

). This corresponds

positively with the concern expressed by 83% of mar-

keters that ethical considerations are an obstacle to

integration. Therefore, both stakeholders – both

consumers and marketers, need a more clearly con-

structed and accordingly communicated ethical

framework of the application in marketing activities

of AI, in general, and of EI

, in particular.

The next question in the survey reinforces this

conclusion by analyzing the users' need for strict rules

for using marketing tools with EI

(RQ7

). To vary-

ing degrees, 100% of those who took part in the sur-

vey shared this statement positively. The proportion

of positive responses to the last question, namely

whether consumers would like to have more control

over how their emotional data is used in marketing

(RQ8

), is similar.

Based on the studies conducted, fundamental gen-

eralizations can be made, and specific directions for

future research and policy development on the re-

sponsible use of EI

in (neuro)marketing can be pro-

posed. That contributes to a more accountable use of

in marketing but would also bring peace of mind

to consumers that their personal data, including their

specific emotions, would be used in a more transpar-

ent and responsible, but not manipulative, manner.

The present research shows that it is necessary to:

1) Conducting long-term studies to assess how the use

of EI

in marketing affects consumer behaviour,

brand loyalty, and market trends in the long term. The

results must be communicated to all interested par-

ties, including the consumers whose emotions are be-

ing studied; 2) In-depth analysis of the interaction be-

tween users and specific marketing tools powered by

(e.g. chatbots) to understand if and how customer

satisfaction and loyalty are actually affected; 3) De-

veloping a comprehensive ethical framework defin-

ing the permissible and impermissible uses of not

only AI but also tools based on EI

. This is necessary

so that it is completely transparent when the fine line

between immoral, manipulative behaviour on the part

of companies and brands is crossed.

Limitations of the Study

A significant limitation of the research is the apparent

lack of clarity regarding the object of study – EI

among the respondents. For many of them, AI, EI,

and EI

are just modern terms that are emptied of

meaning at this stage. In this sense, asking for opin-

ions on issues about which the respondents are not

sufficiently knowledgeable is undoubtedly possible

to distort the final results, especially regarding atti-

tudes and perceptions. It is essential in future similar

studies that the respondents, especially the user

group, are in advance and at least partially familiar

with the meaning of neuromarketing, EI, AI, and EI

The survey's avoidance of the term neuromarket-

ing should also be seen as a limitation. However, as

stated, the aim is to explore attitudes, challenges, and

opportunities for the implementation of EI

market-

ing tools, which essentially relate to neuromarketing.

Applicability

To realize the full potential of EI

, close cooperation

between academia, business, government institutions

and civil society is needed. Only through joint efforts

is it possible to develop an effective regulatory frame-

work and encourage the responsible use of these tech-

nologies. The long-term goal should be to create an

environment where EI

serves the interests of society

as a whole, stimulates innovation and competition,

and provides an inclusive environment that places

ethics above the maximization of profits or at least

does not pit them against each other. In this sense, the

present study enriches disciplines such as manage-

ment, marketing, consumer behaviour, and neuromar-

keting. Still, it is also a good starting point for starting

a more active discussion in the direction of building a

normative and ethical framework for the use of EI

applications.

5 CONCLUSIONS

Emotionally intelligent artificial intelligence opens

up a horizon of unsuspected possibilities in market-

ing. At the same time, its development and subse-

quent implementation require constant pursuit of a

balance between innovation and ethical considera-

tions. In this sense, the survey among Bulgarian re-

spondents, to some extent, demonstrates an underes-

timation by consumers regarding their own emotions

as potential personal data of high value for marketers

and brands.

Integration of Emotionally Intelligent Artiﬁcial Intelligence into Neuromarketing: Attitudes, Opportunities, Challenges

365

It is also significant that both researched groups are

convinced of the potential and effectiveness of EI

Still, they do not know enough about it as a paradigm

but already realize that there are a number of ethical

dilemmas that need to be resolved before actively using

this attractive new technology. There are also concerns

that EI

can be used to manipulate users by acting on

their unconscious desires and fears. Brands should al-

leviate these concerns transparently and proactively.

In conclusion, the combination of EI

and neuro-

marketing undoubtedly opens up new and exciting op-

portunities for marketers. By understanding consum-

ers' emotional responses, companies can create prod-

ucts and services that are better tailored to the individ-

ual needs and preferences of their most loyal custom-

ers. It is precisely this that is among the most essential

expectations of both marketers and consumers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study is financed by the European Union-

NextGenerationEU through the National Recovery

and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, pro-

ject №BG-RRP-2.013-0001-C01.

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