Manu Rehani is the founder of Issa, an emotional AI startup.
Rehani is an innovator in applied behavioral and cognitive linguistics. He is an inventor, mentor, and board advisor for several startups. After successfully exiting two tech ventures, he’s currently focused on developing a new class of emotion-aware AI for general application in custom GPTs and LLMs and specific use in mental health and wellness applications to foster a healthy relationship with self and others through AI.
On the Ideas to Invoices podcast, Rehani discusses the ethical and thoughtful development of AI that understands and responds to human emotions to improve mental health and well-being rather than creating dependence or isolation.
Here are ten key takeaways from the podcast:
- Personal Inspiration for Emotion-Aware AI:
- Manu was inspired to create Issa after observing the effects of COVID-19, particularly the loneliness his daughter experienced when her social activities were disrupted.
- Mission of Issa:
- Issa aims to address loneliness and mental health issues by leveraging AI that can understand the emotional content of conversations, thereby fostering healthier relationships.
- Unique Approach to Emotion Detection:
- Unlike other emotion AI that use a “bag of words” approach, Issa’s technology considers the context surrounding words to determine their emotional content, applying rules-based AI rather than training sets.
- Success Stories:
- Issa has made breakthroughs in caregiver support by analyzing care notes for stress indicators, which helped reduce caregiver burnout and attrition rates in eldercare facilities.
- Future of Emotion-Aware AI:
- Manu envisions that emotion-aware AI should serve as a bridge to real-life connections and stresses the importance of considering ethical issues like privacy and trust.
- Impact of Previous Startups:
- Lessons from previous ventures have influenced Manu’s approach to Issa, emphasizing team culture, the role of diverse perspectives, and the need for products relevant across age groups.
- The Process of Patenting AI Technologies:
- Securing patents for Issa’s technology was an intensive process but was viewed as a beneficial exercise that improved their technological approach.
- Austin as a Tech Hub:
- Manu notes that Austin’s culture of citizen entrepreneurship creates a conducive environment for startups, particularly in the AI sector.
- Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs in Emotional AI:
- Manu advises newcomers to the field to focus on AI’s impact on human connections and avoid creating technologies that could further isolate people.
- Humanizing AI:
- There is a discussion about incorporating AI into humanoid or animal forms, which Manu expresses reservations about, preferring AI to assist with human connections rather than replace them.