The field of AI-driven mental health support and social interactions is rapidly evolving, with a growing focus on developing culturally informed AI assistants and exploring the role of AI in fostering intercultural empathy. Recent studies have highlighted the need for careful consideration of cultural knowledge gaps and representational asymmetry in AI systems, as well as the importance of designing AI tools that support emotional well-being responsibly. Noteworthy papers in this area include one that adopts the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide to analyze suicidal ideation in online spaces, and another that reveals an attractiveness bias in multimodal large language models. Overall, the field is moving towards a more nuanced understanding of the complex interactions between AI systems, culture, and human behavior.