Researchers Aakriti Kumar, Nalin Poungpeth, Diyi Yang, Bruce Lambert, and Matthew Groh conducted a study demonstrating that practicing conversations with language models can cultivate and enhance human empathic communication abilities. The research, published in computational linguistics and human-computer interaction venues, provides evidence that AI systems can serve as training tools for developing interpersonal skills. This finding suggests AI could play a significant role in communication skills education and professional development programs.