AI scientist, entrepreneur<\/a>, and investor Rana el Kaliouby is worried that AI could become another \u201cboys\u2019 club\u201d in the tech 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 ramifications.<\/p>\n \u201cI think AI today is a boys\u2019 club. I think diversity is not a very popular conversation topic these days, but I think it\u2019s so important because AI is creating incredible economic opportunity,\u201d el Kaliouby said onstage, when asked if the perception of AI being a boys\u2019 club was a myth. (The interviewer showed a series of headlines from TechCrunch showcasing AI startups with male founders to demonstrate the point.)<\/p>\n El Kaliouby, who sold her emotion-detection software company Affectiva in 2021<\/a> and is now co-founder and general partner at Blue Tulip Ventures, said that three out of four investments at her firm are in startups with women CEOs.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t \u2018just\u2019 invest in women,\u201d she clarified. \u201cBut I really try to seek these women founders and support them, if not by a check, but in other ways, because they\u2019re not getting the opportunity that they should and they need.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIf women are left out \u2014 because they\u2019re not founding these companies, because they\u2019re not getting the funding, because they\u2019re not even investing in the funds that are investing in these companies \u2014 we\u2019re going to look back five years from now or a decade from now, and\u2026we\u2019re going to have widened the economic gap like crazy. So this is something that really concerns me,\u201d el Kaliouby noted. <\/p>\n Her reference to the current \u201cunpopularity\u201d of the topic of diversity follows the Trump administration\u2019s rollback<\/a> of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives<\/a>, which then spilled over to the tech industry<\/a>. These changes don\u2019t just impact how tech companies hire, but also how their products are developed. In AI, for instance, companies may feel pressure<\/a> to align their models\u2019 outputs with the White House\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n For el Kaliouby, a lack of diversity isn\u2019t just about the potential for economic disadvantage, she said \u2014 it\u2019s also about the outcome. <\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span> \u201cI do think we are living in a very exciting time. But I also feel strongly that if we don\u2019t intervene, like, if we don\u2019t really stand up for what we care about like ethics and diversity of thought and perspective, and prioritizing this idea of centering around the humans\u2026the outcome may not be great,\u201d she added. \u201cSo I feel like it\u2019s a very critical moment to use our voices and our leadership to shape where this is going.\u201d<\/p>\n \n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/sxsw-2026-el-Kaliouby-tc-headlines.jpg?w=680\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n