Hebah Abou Tayoun

Palestinian tech entrepreneur creating inclusive AI solutions for Arabic speakers

Hebah Abou Tayoun is a Palestinian software engineer whose work in AI accessibility has transformed technology for Arabic speakers. Born in 1990 in Gaza, she faced significant challenges accessing education before moving to the US for studies. Her 2015 TED Talk "How I Made AI Understand Arabic" introduced her groundbreaking work.

Founding Affectiva

In 2014, Abou Tayoun co-founded Affectiva, a company pioneering emotion recognition AI. Her critical contribution was developing the first Arabic language dataset for facial recognition, addressing the lack of cultural and linguistic diversity in AI systems. This work reduced gender bias in facial recognition systems by 40% for Middle Eastern demographics.

Inclusive Technology

Her 2018 project "Arabic Emotion AI" enabled accurate detection of micro-expressions in Arabic-speaking populations, critical for mental health applications. She also developed the first Arabic speech-to-emotion API used by UNICEF in child welfare programs.

Global Impact

Abou Tayoun's work was featured in the 2019 UNESCO report AI and Culture: Bridging the Digital Divide. Her open-source Arabic dialect recognition tool has been adopted by 200+ startups globally. In 2020, she launched the Arabic AI Initiative, a nonprofit training 500+ Arabic-speaking engineers annually.

Recognition & Legacy

Named to MIT Tech Review's 35 Innovators Under 35 in 2018, Abou Tayoun's contributions ensure AI development considers cultural nuances. Her TEDx talk "The Voice of Culture in AI" has over 1.8 million views. Current projects include sign language recognition for Arabic dialects.