"The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis

Hume CEO Alan Cowen on Creating Emotionally Aware AI

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Dec 9, 2023

Alan Cowen, CEO and Chief Scientist at Hume AI, shares insights into his startup's mission to create emotionally aware AI. They explore the complex relationship between AI and human emotions, diving into how technology can measure happiness and enhance user experiences. Cowen discusses the challenges of emotion data collection, the intricacies of interpreting facial expressions, and the importance of cultural nuances in emotional expression. The conversation highlights the innovative potential of AI in improving mental health outcomes and customer interactions.

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INSIGHT

Data Collection and Bias Control

Hume AI uses surveys to collect self-reported emotional data and controls for biases.
This approach disentangles identity and expression, avoiding biases like gender and ethnicity.

INSIGHT

Challenges in Objective Labeling

Objective labeling of facial expressions is challenging; perceptions are nuanced and context-dependent.
Hume AI prioritizes subjective judgments linked to social inferences over objective muscle movements.

INSIGHT

Inter-rater Reliability

Inter-rater reliability is assessed by how well models capture shared variance in judgments.
Hume AI prioritizes predicting the distribution of human judgments, not individual ratings.

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In this episode, Nathan sits down with Alan Cowen, CEO and Chief Scientist at Hume AI, an emotional intelligence startup working on creating emotionally aware AI. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/cognitive for a $1/month trial period.

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

SPONSORS:

Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of ALL eCommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/cognitive

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@labenz (Nathan)

@AlanCowen (Alan)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@CogRev_Podcast

LINKS:

Hume: https://hume.ai/

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) - Episode Preview

(00:04:52) - How do you define happiness? How can AI make people happy?

(00:08:40) - The striking experience of trying the Hume demo

(00:09:16) - Building multimodal models using facial expressions, vocal signals, speech patterns

(00:12:27) - How Hume’s models have an advantage of LLMs when it comes to interpreting emotions

(00:13:23) - Assembling diverse datasets of emotional judgments via surveys

(00:15:27) - Sponsors: Shopify

(00:22:00) - Across populations, what is common or different in people’s judgement of facial expressions

(00:26:00) - Interrater reliability for training data

(00:30:48) - Sponsors: Omneky

(00:33:20) - The unique labelling of “awe” across different cultures

(00:36:23) - Customizing models for cultural emotional expression norms

(00:41:13) - How they determined the set of emotions recognized by the model

(00:42:50) - Schadenfreude as a unique example of semantic space research

(00:49:00) - Custom models

(00:52:42) - Using Hume in B2B contexts

(00:59:49) - The cost comparison of having a human analyze emotions vs AI

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.