Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • October 2019
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Feeling Machines: Emotion AI at Affectiva

By: Shane Greenstein and John Masko
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:20
ShareBar

Abstract

In 2016, Affectiva—a Boston-based emotion AI software company with a long track record of building emotion-sensing software for market research—had attempted to expand into new verticals by releasing a mobile software development kit (SDK) that downloaders could adapt for their own use cases. The experience taught Affectiva that the company itself would have to bear most of the financial risk for adapting its technologies but also demonstrated that the automotive industry was very interested in using Affectiva’s technology to monitor the emotions and cognitive states of drivers and passengers. In 2018, Affectiva executed a “90% pivot” to serve the automotive industry’s increasing demand for “emotion AI”. However, with automotive revenues not expected for several years and very expensive data collection requirements to enter the industry, Affectiva faced a challenging set of trade-offs between its market research business, its SDK, and its automotive aspirations.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Market Research; Business Model; Finance; Revenue; Decision Making; Risk and Uncertainty; Market Entry and Exit; Applications and Software; AI and Machine Learning; Information Technology Industry; Auto Industry; United States

Citation

Greenstein, Shane, and John Masko. "Feeling Machines: Emotion AI at Affectiva." Harvard Business School Case 620-058, October 2019.
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Shane M. Greenstein

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • February 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI (B)

    By: Michael W. Toffel, Shane Greenstein and Sadika El Hariri
    • December 2024 (Revised January 2025)
    • Faculty Research

    A Guide to the Vocabulary, Evolution, and Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    By: Shane Greenstein, Nathaniel Lovin, Scott Wallsten, Kerry Herman and Susan Pinckney
    • November 2024 (Revised February 2025)
    • Faculty Research

    Hugging Face (A) and (B)

    By: Shane Greenstein, Nicole Zelazko and Kerry Herman
More from the Authors
  • Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI (B) By: Michael W. Toffel, Shane Greenstein and Sadika El Hariri
  • A Guide to the Vocabulary, Evolution, and Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) By: Shane Greenstein, Nathaniel Lovin, Scott Wallsten, Kerry Herman and Susan Pinckney
  • Hugging Face (A) and (B) By: Shane Greenstein, Nicole Zelazko and Kerry Herman
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.