Rana el Kaliouby

AI is moving fast. But are we really keeping humans at the center? In this special live Rapid Response, recorded on stage at South by Southwest, host Bob Safian sits down with AI scientist, founder of Affectiva, investor at Blue Tulip, and host of Pioneers of AI, Dr. Rana el Kaliouby.  Rana makes the case that human-centric AI isn't just a safety guardrail; it's the key to thriving socially, economically, and emotionally. She also cuts through the noise on the buzziest AI myths, weighs in on AI in therapy and Meta Glasses, and draws a sharp line between AI founders who are truly visionary and those who are simply opportunistic. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rana el Kaliouby, an AI scientist, entrepreneur, and expert in emotion AI, shares her predictions for 2026. She discusses the exciting potential of AI to enhance human connections and the shift from academia to industry-driven breakthroughs. Rana tackles the chatbot arms race, concerns about dynamic pricing discriminating against essential goods, and the concept of relationship-intelligent AI. She also predicts the rise of AI-native jobs and emphasizes the need for cultural customization in AI applications, all while balancing optimism with concerns about safety and fairness.

Dr. Rana el Kaliouby, AI scientist and Affectiva co-founder focused on human-centric AI. She argues for EQ benchmarks and emotional intelligence in AI. She tackles design gaps in robots, AI in therapy, Meta Glasses, creator IP, reskilling for AI workflows, and what truly visionary founders look like.