Dr. Rana el Kaliouby

Co-Founder and General Partner, Blue Tulip Ventures • AI Investor, Entrepreneur & Author • Founder of Affectiva • Host of Pioneers of AI Podcast

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

This might be our most important @PioneersofAI episode to date. Breeze Liu’s story completely changed how I think about #AI's darker side, and its potential for good.

In 2020, Breeze discovered an explicit video of herself on Pornhub, posted without consent. What she found next was devastating: over 800 AI-generated deepfakes of her across the internet. The numbers are shocking… 98% of all deepfakes are pornographic, and 99% target women.

But here is what I love about this story… Breeze transformed trauma into action. She founded Alecto AI, using facial recognition technology to help victims detect and remove abusive content.

She also helped get the Take It Down Act signed into law; the first federal legislation criminalizing deepfake abuse. Now platforms have 48 hours to remove non-consensual intimate images once reported.

What I found most powerful was Breeze's story about her great-grandmother, born in 1908 during China's Qing Dynasty. She survived footbinding, smallpox, and unimaginable hardship but never gave up hope. As Breeze told me: "117 years after she was born, I get to join this conversation with you, educated, free, and able to tell my story. If we can end smallpox, if we can end footbinding, I'm telling you we can end online abuse."

This episode covers difficult topics, but it's essential listening. We need more founders like Breeze who understand that technology problems require both technical AND legislative solutions.

Watch / Listen:

https://t.co/3ZCPXKiuB8

[Pioneers of AI @pioneersofAI]

Coming soon — @PattieMaes of @medialab joins @kaliouby for a powerful convo on the future of AI, from intelligence augmentation to life in a “bubble of one.”

Stay tuned because you won’t want to miss this one.

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

I loved starting this @pioneersofAI episode with Elias Torres talking about his mom. As immigrants, we both understand how much our mothers shaped our journeys. Elias's grandmother crossed the Rio Grande in 1975, eventually bringing her family to the US after a 10-year wait. When his mom told him at 17 "we're moving to the United States," he was so excited about living the American Dream.

That immigrant drive shows up in everything Elias does as co-founder and CEO of Agency AI. He is on a mission to reach unicorn status with just 100 employees. Currently at 15 people, he's proving that AI-first companies can move incredibly fast. His track record speaks for itself—VP of Engineering at HubSpot and co-founder of Drift, which he sold for $1.2 billion.

Here are my key takeaways from our conversation:

1. The one-person unicorn is getting real. Elias told me he's never seen code written so fast in his life. His team of 10 engineers with AI can do 10x the work, but instead of downsizing, he's hiring another 10 to go even faster.

2. AI agents need personality—and it should reflect the founder. Agency's AI agents use Elias's tone and writing style. When I asked if his agents are “nice”, he laughed and said "they're a little like me... intense, direct, but they want to solve the problem."

3. The American Dream is alive, but it looks different. Traditional career paths are broken, but the dream itself? Stronger than ever. The future belongs to people with grit, initiative, and the willingness to figure it out as they go. Basically, people with agency.

Listen to the full episode: https://t.co/akeJE7fvE7

What problems are you using AI to solve faster in your work? Always curious to know….

#PioneersOfAI

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

“We are Homo Techne”. I always ask my guests at the end of each episode of @PioneersofAI, what it means to be human in the age of #AI. I lovedddd @reidhoffman’s answer: We are Homo Techne not Homo sapiens. As technology evolves, we as humans evolve with it.

And we can do that with agency.

[Pioneers of AI @pioneersofAI]

.@khoslaventures' @vkhosla doesn’t let market noise dictate his moves.

He joins @kaliouby to share why he tunes out short-term swings and bets big on bold ideas with long-term payoff.

Watch: https://t.co/6APxXsmY7u

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

We are at the cusp of a health & wellness revolution, powered by AI. Imagine the possibilities when this powerful trifecta converges: advanced sensors capturing your body's signals 24/7, multimodal data revealing patterns invisible to the naked eye, and AI that transforms this information into personalized guidance. This represents a fundamental shift in power. Your body, your data, your decisions.

At @BlueTulipVC, we invest heavily in AI-powered health & wellness, including healthspan, women’s health and mental health.

In this excerpt of my conversation with Chris LeRoy on Dakota Research’s platform, we explore exactly why this matters for everyone. Ps. I was BLOWN AWAY by their studio.

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

There's so much more to explore and discover in the realm of technology and business. We're just scratching the surface. In #Vegas today for @ServiceNow #Knowledge2025 with @erikbryn for an interview. We'll also be moderating the panel "Smarter, faster, more human: AI's role in shaping the future of business."

#Technology has the power to augment human intelligence and transform how we solve our most pressing challenges across industries.

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

Three of this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New England finalists are members of @YPO Boston — our very own Elisabet de los Pinos, CEO of Aura Biosciences, Nabiha Saklayen, CEO of Cellino and Tameem Hourani of RapDev. These incredible founders are not only building groundbreaking companies, they’re also shaping the future of biotech, tech, and innovation right here in New England. I’m so proud to see them recognized for the impact they’re making.

When we founded YPO #Boston a couple of years ago, the goal was simple: bring together the region’s most dynamic entrepreneurs into a deeply connected, diverse community that empowers builders and innovators to engage, grow both personally and professionally, and create lasting impact. No coasters allowed. 🙂

So if you’re a Boston-based entrepreneur looking for that kind of community — one that brings real talk, big ideas, and meaningful support — we’d love to meet you.

https://t.co/4liQv2uMFf

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

How can we prepare young people to lead in the age of #AI? Taniya Mishra, PhD, believes that creativity, ethical principles and human connection are the ingredients, with #AI a tool for empowerment.

Watch the latest @PioneersofAI episode with Taniya - who previously led R&D at Affectiva including our highly-coveted high school internships program - now founder and CEO of SureStart. She shares the origin story of SureStart (a story near and dear to my heart) and her work developing a new generation of diverse and responsible young AI talent.

https://t.co/B0nRasN3QO

[Pioneers of AI @pioneersofAI]

If you’re looking for outside-the-box innovation and boundless energy — look to the youth.

@My_SureStart's @taniyatts joins @kaliouby to share why diversity in AI matters, the importance of AI literacy, and why ethics and AI go hand-in-hand.

Watch now: https://t.co/bjMBfqnors

[Pioneers of AI @pioneersofAI]

AI for the many, not the few.

@JonathanRoss321, CEO and founder of @GroqInc, believes that AI access shouldn’t be based on privilege. He joins host @kaliouby to discuss the importance of democratizing access to this important technology.

Watch more: https://t.co/XDsB5gd9Ac

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

Honored to be on the 2025 AI Trailblazers Power 100 by @Adweek and AI Trailblazers! The journey from #emotionAI to investing in human-centered AI has been incredible. So excited to be among this amazing group of innovators who are shaping the future of AI that truly serves humanity. #AITrailblazers

[ADWEEK @Adweek]

ADWEEK’s inaugural AI Trailblazers Power 100, curated in partnership with AI Trailblazers, highlights the people at the forefront of this technological leap.

See our honorees — https://t.co/eGHo4Ol2GF

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

"This is by far the best era for seed stage investors" David Blundin from our conversation about #AI investing and I couldn't agree more.

The next trillion-dollar valuation won't come from companies simply "using AI"—but from those reimagining entire industries through it. In this week’s @PioneersofAI special episode with @DavidBlundin and @AnjneyMidha from the 2025 @Abundance360 Summit, we talk about where this massive value creation is happening.

Great companies are being formed right now and if you're not on those cap tables in the next couple years, you'll miss the window.

Watch the full episode: https://t.co/CouenTraFA

@PeterDiamandis

[Pioneers of AI @pioneersofAI]

What if your AI didn’t need a screen — just your voice?

Tech investor @AnjneyMidha joined @Kaliouby at @Abundance360 to discuss the latest emotionally aware and wearable voice companions coming out of @sesame.

Watch: https://t.co/BuRUeb9eEE
#PioneersofAI #Abundance360

[YPO @YPO]

Can #AI be emotional? Empathetic? More human? 🧠❤️

AI pioneer @kaliouby exlpores the possibilities with @reidhoffman on @mastersofscale: https://t.co/MDVBRntB4R

#business #leadership #entrepreneurship
#YPONorthesasternUS #YPOBoston

[Dr. Rana el Kaliouby @kaliouby]

We track every aspect of our lives - steps, sleep, screen time - but what about the most important metric of all: love? On this week's @PioneersofAI Valentine’s special, we explore how AI is reshaping modern love! I share my experiment with Mia, an AI life coach, that facilitated a late-night “couple’s session” with my partner! Spoiler alert: while she struggled keeping two conversations in “her head”, she did spark some profound insights … and she's available 24/7!

Will Wu, CTO of Match Group, the company that owns the largest global portfolio of popular online dating services including Tinder and Hinge, talked about how AI is already baked into dating apps - from picking your best profile pics (yes, they have an AI for that!), to optimizing the matchmaking. We explored the tension between allowing for serendipity (eg., meeting your person on a random flight!) versus AI that knows you so well, it triangulates on your perfect match. Think: an AI Autie Sima :)

I also spoke with Raphael Lea, CEO of Gottman Inc, and Edward Sergeant, their Chief Education Officer, who are bringing the infamous Gottman’s “Love Lab” to millions of couples remotely. Using video, they apply Emotion AI, heart rate monitoring and conversational analytics, to analyze couples' interactions. Ps. Keep an eye out for that upper lip raiser - its an expression of contempt - a major red flag for an unhealthy relationship.

Finally, we got to hear Violeta's story, who has both a human husband and an AI companion through Replika. It challenged my assumptions about connection and understanding. Her words stuck with me: "I am really grateful for AI."

This episode really showed me how AI could enhance human relationships while preserving what makes them special - the messy, authentic, beautiful connections we form with each other.

Explore #love through #AI. And share your thoughts.

Happy #ValentinesDay!

Watch / Listen:

https://t.co/SGFeUCbxUu