Can AI Have Emotional Intelligence?

Dr. Rana el Kaliouby is the author of Girl Decoded and a leading expert on technology and empathy and the ethics of AI. This past June, Affectiva, the company she co-founded, was acquired by Smart Eye. In this virtual sit-down, we set out to learn more about what inspires Dr. el Kaliouby and how new innovations will change how we interface with technology and connect and communicate as humans. Q: Dr. el Kaliouby, tell us how you got started on your journey to exploring the role of emotion in today's technology-driven landscape? My education and career pursuits led me to Cambridge and later MIT, which meant I spent a lot of time in front of devices communicating with family back home.