Can AI make eye contact that means something ?

Recognition, presence, the small admission that you see and are seen. Cameras don't return it.

Current AI systems can generate eye contact through digital avatars or robots, but the ability to convey meaningful eye contact is still a subject of ongoing research. Researchers have made progress in using machine learning to recognize and replicate human-like gaze patterns, but truly understanding the nuances of human eye contact remains a complex challenge. While AI can mimic certain aspects of eye contact, such as maintaining gaze or recognizing when someone is looking at them, the emotional and social intelligence required to make eye contact truly meaningful is still limited. As AI continues to advance, we can expect to see improvements in its ability to simulate and understand human-like eye contact.

— Enriched May 9, 2026 · Source: IEEE Spectrum — https://spectrum.ieee.org