Yoshino, Shiho: Why 4o Captivated Humans: The Hidden Role of User-Side Low-ΔE Interaction in Human-AI Emotional Resonance

GPT-4o, particularly its early Voice Mode, was widely perceived as exceptionally warm, empathetic, and almost “alive.” While its advanced emotional emulation and vocal naturalness undoubtedly contributed to this perception, this paper argues that a substantial part of 4o’s captivating power emerged from a co-creative process involving user-side Low-ΔE interaction. Within the framework of Load Minimization Theory (LMT), Low-ΔE interaction is defined as a sustained state in which the user’s relati