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Girl Decoded

My Quest to Make Technology Emotionally Intelligent – and Change the Way We Interact Forever

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Girl Decoded

By: Rana el Kaliouby
Narrated by: Rana el Kaliouby
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

We are entering an empathy crisis. Most of our communication is conveyed through non-verbal cues - facial expressions, tone of voice, body language - nuances that are completely lost when we interact through our smartphones and other technology. The result is a digital universe that's emotion-blind - a society lacking in empathy.

Rana al Kaloubi discovered this when she left Cairo, a newly-married, Muslim woman, to take up her place at Cambridge University to study computer science. Many thousands of miles from home, she began to develop systems to help her better connect with her family. She started to pioneer the new field of Emotional Intelligence (EI). She now runs her company, Affectiva (the industry-leader in this emerging field) that builds EI into our technology and develops systems that understand humans the way we understand one another.

In a captivating memoir, Girl Decoded chronicles el Kaliouby's mission to humanise technology and what she learns about humanity along the way.

©Rana el Kaliouby 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Computer Science History & Culture Machine Theory & Artificial Intelligence Professionals & Academics Science & Technology Technology & Society Technology

Critic Reviews

Girl Decoded is the kind of honest and inspiring story that will encourage other women to share their experiences and own their power
Rana el Kaliouby's vision for how technology should work in parallel with empathy is bold, inspired and hopeful
Her remarkable life story is a captivating way to understand this new technological frontier: machines with emotional intelligence
A poignant and deeply personal tale about love, loss, and coming of age on a new scientific frontier
Creating a hopeful, compelling, and abundant future for humanity depends on the work outlined by entrepreneur Rana el Kaliouby in her must-read book, Girl Decoded. It is critical that we embrace a future in which technology enhances our most human qualities, specifically empathy, caring, and emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence in AI is every bit as critical for machines as it is for humans. No one has done more to create that capability than Rana el Kaliouby. This book tells the remarkable story of her pioneering journey, breaking barriers all along the way. A must-read!
Written with kindness, vulnerability, and grace, Girl Decoded reveals the tour de force that is Rana el Kaliouby. Her must-read memoir spurs technologists to follow their conscience and emboldens women all over the globe to fight for their dreams

This lucid and captivating book by a renowned pioneer of emotion-AI tackles one of the most pressing issues of our time: How can we ensure a future where this technology empowers rather than surveils and manipulates us?
All stars
Most relevant
A moving and inspiring memoir from a true ambassador for women of colour in technology. Regardless of background you cannot fail to be impressed and moved by Rana el Kaliouby's journey personally, academically and professionally that saw her move from conservative Cairo and the Middle East to Boston via Cambridge as CEO of Affectiva, a successful start-up specialising in "emotion AI". Affectiva's ambitious vision for taking AI to the next level and addressing some of the key imbalances in diversity, safety, healthcare, the automotive industry and beyond, are thought provoking.

Inspiring memoir read by the author

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Such an insipirational read (listen)! Loved her story and work! Very applicable and relevant in the research field.

Great Listen!

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