Imagine a future where your mood isn’t just influenced by your environment but directly shaped by technology. Advances in neurotechnology and AI are bringing us closer to “emotion engineering” — the ability to monitor, influence, or even control human feelings through brain implants, wearable devices, or tailored digital content.

Companies are already experimenting with mood-enhancing apps, biofeedback devices, and targeted advertisements designed to trigger emotional responses. On the medical front, neural implants could help treat depression or anxiety by stimulating specific brain areas. But outside healthcare, emotion control raises ethical red flags. If your emotions can be manipulated without your awareness, what does that mean for free will and consent?

The commercial implications are huge. Imagine marketers who can subtly influence your desire to buy, or social media algorithms that keep you hooked by amplifying certain feelings. On a societal level, widespread emotion engineering could change how we interact, potentially eroding authentic human connection or creating emotional dependency on technology.

As these tools advance, we face urgent questions: Who sets the limits? How transparent must emotion-altering tech be? And how do we protect individual autonomy in a world where our very feelings might be engineered?