This article proposes the concept of Affective Intelligence (AI) as a distinct neurofunctional capacity responsible for the integration of affective states into processes of judgment, action, and applied morality. AI is not limited to emotional regulation but encompasses the ability to incorporate emotions into reasoning and complex social interaction. The neurobiological foundation of AI lies in the synergy between cortical and subcortical systems, including the orbitofrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction, and anterior insula. The functional architecture of AI involves the integration rather than suppression of emotions, empathic proactivity, intrapersonal and interpersonal coherence, and moral affective signaling. This work delineates the concept of AI in relation to emotional intelligence and empathy, exploring its clinical, social, and cognitive implications. It concludes that AI broadens the paradigm of human cognition, integrating emotion, morality, and social adaptability into a structuring function.

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