Rana El Kaliouby says AI’s “boys club” could widen the wealth gap between women

Artificial intelligence scientist, entrepreneur and investor Rana El Kaliouby worries that AI may become another “boys club” in the technology industry. At the SXSW conference in Austin on Sunday, El Kaliouby shared her view that a lack of diversity in the field could lead to economic disadvantages for women in tech, with further repercussions.

“I think today’s AI is a boys’ club,” El Kaliouby said on stage, when asked if the perception that AI is a boys’ club is a myth. “I think diversity is not a very popular topic these days, but I think it’s very important because AI creates incredible economic opportunity.” (The interviewer showed a series of headlines from TechCrunch featuring AI startups with male founders to illustrate this point.)

El Kaliouby, who sold her emotion detection software company Affectiva in 2021 and is now co-founder and general partner at Blue Tulip Ventures, said three out of four investments at her venture firm are in startups with female CEOs.

“I don’t just invest in women,” she explained. “But I really try to look out for these female founders and support them, if not with a check, but in other ways, because they’re not getting the opportunity that they should and need.”

“If women are left out — because they’re not starting these companies, because they’re not getting financing, because they’re not even investing in the money that’s being invested in these companies — we’re going to look back five years from now or a decade from now, and… we’re going to widen the economic gap like crazy,” El Kaliouby said. “So that’s something that really worries me.”

Her reference to the “unpopularity” of the current diversity topic comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives, which then spilled over into the tech industry. These changes affect not only how technology companies hire, but also how they develop their products. In the field of artificial intelligence, for example, companies may feel pressure to align the outputs of their models with White House priorities.

For El Kaliouby, a lack of diversity is not just about the potential for economic disadvantage, it is also about the outcome.

“I think we’re living in a very exciting time. But I also feel strongly that if we don’t step up, like, if we don’t really stand up for what we care about like ethics and diversity of thought and perspective, and prioritizing the idea of ​​being human-centered… then the outcome may not be as great,” she added. “So I feel like it’s a very critical moment to use our voices and our leadership to determine the direction this goes.”