In this episode of The Personal Side of Business, I sit down with Dr. Mohammad Mahoor, professor, AI researcher, and founder behind Ryan, an assistive robot designed to interact with people through conversation, facial expressions, emotion recognition, and personalized experiences.
Mohammad's journey started long before today's AI boom. His early work included computer vision, facial recognition, and using computer algorithms to study the behavior, eye gaze, attention, and facial expressions of children with autism. That experience ultimately helped shape his focus on using technology to support people, caregivers, and therapists.
We get into:
• How Mohammad went from researcher and professor to startup founder
• The 12-year journey of developing Ryan
• Why fundraising has been one of his biggest challenges
• How ChatGPT and large language models changed what Ryan can do
• Using AI and robotics to support assisted living and caregivers
• Why Mohammad doesn't want robots replacing human caregivers
• The psychology behind human-like robots and the "uncanny valley"
• The ethical line between machines and humans
• Why resilience, patience, and learning to pivot are essential for entrepreneurs
Ryan isn't being developed to replace human connection. Mohammad's vision is to use robotics to support and empower caregivers while providing companionship, exercise, entertainment, and other forms of assistance to the people they serve.
As AI and robotics become increasingly sophisticated, this conversation raises a much bigger question:
How human should we allow AI to become?
Check out DreamFace Tech at https://dreamfacetech.com/
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00:00 – Meet Dr. Mohammad Mahoor
01:22 – His Early Journey Into AI & Computer Vision
04:30 – Early Facial Recognition & Autism Research
07:23 – How Robotics Changed His Career
08:41 – Going From Professor to Startup Founder
12:09 – The Challenges of Funding a Robotics Company
16:59 – Meet Ryan: The Robot That Understands Emotions
20:05 – How Human Should AI Become?
24:29 – How Ryan Can Help Assisted Living & Caregivers
27:19 – The Advice He’d Give His Younger Self