Pioneers of AI Rapid Response: Rana’s AI forecast for 2026, with Bob Safian
18 snips
Dec 31, 2025 
Rana el Kaliouby, an AI scientist, entrepreneur, and expert in emotion AI, shares her predictions for 2026. She discusses the exciting potential of AI to enhance human connections and the shift from academia to industry-driven breakthroughs. Rana tackles the chatbot arms race, concerns about dynamic pricing discriminating against essential goods, and the concept of relationship-intelligent AI. She also predicts the rise of AI-native jobs and emphasizes the need for cultural customization in AI applications, all while balancing optimism with concerns about safety and fairness.
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AI As Your Relationship Chief Of Staff
- AI can deepen human connections by organizing relationship data across platforms.
- AIs that surface needed introductions can act like a personal social chief of staff.
AI Turns Tools Into Service Replacements
- AI shifts value creation from selling tools to delivering end-to-end services.
- This expands TAM by disrupting both software and services industries.
Design Companions With Guardrails
- Build guardrails into AI companions to avoid addiction and harm.
- Design systems that nudge users to real human interaction instead of maximizing engagement.
