John Ellis interviews AI scientist Rosalind Picard. Rosalind is a pioneer in the field of affective computing, the co-founder of two companies at the forefront of AI, Affectiva, and Empatica, and the founder and director of the Affective Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab.

Affective computing aims to close the emotional gap between computers and their users. As Rosalind wrote in her book “Affective Computing,” published in 1997, “if we want computers to be genuinely intelligent, to adapt to us, and to interact naturally with us, then they will need the ability to recognize and express emotions.”

John and Rosalind talk about the limits and applications of affective computing, and how wearable technology could change health care as we know it.