AI entrepreneur Rana el Kaliouby warned that the tech industry's lack of diversity could create an economic disadvantage for women as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to business. Speaking at SXSW in Austin, el Kaliouby, who sold her emotion-detection company Affectiva in 2021, expressed concern that AI is becoming another 'boys' club' in tech.

El Kaliouby, now co-founder and general partner at Blue Tulip Ventures, said three out of four investments at her firm go to startups with women CEOs. She emphasized that she doesn't 'just' invest in women but actively seeks female founders because they're not getting fair opportunities. The current climate has grown more challenging following the Trump administration's rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, which has spilled over into tech hiring and product development.

For el Kaliouby, the stakes extend beyond economic opportunity. She warned that without intervention, the AI industry risks creating technologies that don't serve diverse populations effectively. 'If women are left out — because they're not founding these companies, because they're not getting the funding — we're going to look back five years from now and have widened the economic gap like crazy,' she said. The AI scientist called for using voices and leadership to shape the technology's future.