Fei-Fei Li

The ‘Godmother of AI’ Keeps Breaking Boundaries

Dubbed the “godmother of AI” for developing ImageNet — a massive database of labeled images that has been instrumental in advancing computer vision and machine learning — Dr. Fei-Fei Li is just getting started. The Founding Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, Li “quietly built a billion-dollar startup in just four months,” according to The Financial Times. In April of last year, the lauded Chinese American computer scientist launched World Labs, which will attempt to create “spatial intelligence” in AI by developing human-like processing of visual data. This would allow machines to navigate three-dimensional spaces, helping them interact with real-world environments. Investors quickly saw the potential for Li’s vision to change the future: In 2024, World Labs raised $230 million and is already valued at $1 billion.

By Audrey Goodson Kingo