Dr. Fei-Fei Li
- Hayeon Kwak
- Aug 29, 2024
- 3 min read
“Technology could benefit or hurt people, so the usage of tech is the responsibility of humanity as a whole, not just the discoverer. I am a person before I'm an AI technologist.” - Fei-Fei Li
Imagine a world where machines could not only see but also understand the world, similarly to us humans; well, this is the vision which Dr. Fei Fei Li brought to life, transforming the world of artificial intelligence along the way.
Fei-Fei Li, born in Beijing, China, 1976, grew up during a time of significant economic and social changes in China. Growing up amidst these changes, she developed a strong sense of curiosity and a passion for learning. At the age of 15, Fei-Fei and her mother made a life-changing decision and moved to the United States, reuniting with her father who had already settled in New Jersey for 2 years. The transition to a completely new culture, language and environment was challenging for Fei-Fei. Especially since on top of High School she also worked long shifts at a restaurant just to help her parents make ends meet. However, at her new school, a math teacher called Bob Sabella often engaged with Fei-Fei, helping to spark an interest in science and literature which inevitably shaped Fei-Fei's educational path.
She graduated from Parsippany High School in 1995 with honours. Her ambition for science led her to study at Princeton University, and although she came to work at her parents’ dry-cleaning business on most weekends, she majored in Physics and discovered a growing interest in computer science and mathematics. This was pursued further with studies at Caltech where she received a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical engineering in 2005. Li completed her dissertation, titled "Visual Recognition: Computational Models and Human Psychophysics," which could be considered one of her first works looking at artificial intelligence and its ethical aspects.
She joined the University of Stanford in 2009, first working as an assistant professor but then promoted to associate professor with tenure and was the director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL).
There, Fei-Fei Li's groundbreaking work on ImageNet fundamentally transformed the field of artificial intelligence. Although she had been working on the project since 2006, in 2009 the project was officially launched. Previously, most AI researchers thought algorithms were way more crucial than the data itself, however, Li proved that inputting large quantities of real-world data would help make the algorithms more accurate and reliable.
In the beginning, ImageNet had 0 images, and over the span of a year or so, the system had more than 11 million labelled images over many different categories, enabling researchers to train AI algorithms with astonishing precision and scale which was previously unattainable. This revolutionary work by Fei-Fei led to major advancements in artificial image recognition and accelerated many related research projects.
Following the success of ImageNet, in 2017, she joined to work with Google on a project called ‘Project Maven’ which worked to use AI techniques to interpret images taken by drone cameras. Google had claimed that this project was ‘for non-offensive purposes’, however when some internal emails were leaked in 2018, there were statements proclaiming that this AI was being harnessed to help the military and therefore the danger of autonomous weapons. Fei-Fei's response was:” I believe in human-centred AI to benefit people in positive and benevolent ways. It is deeply against my principles to work on any project that I think is to weaponize AI." With that, she quit working with Google due to the fact it was beyond her morals. Her departure marked a significant moment in her career, reinforcing and demonstrating her dedication to advancing AI in ways that prioritize human welfare and ethical considerations.
After returning to her professorship in Stanford, Fei-Fei co-founded a non-profit organisation called AI4ALL. Their mission was to foster a more diverse and inclusive AI community and inspire the next generation of AI practitioners and leaders from underrepresented groups, including women and minorities, by providing educational programs and resources. Li’s commitments reflect how she wishes to ensure that the future of artificial intelligence is inclusive, equitable, and aligned with societal values.
Dr. Fei-Fei Li’s journey from being a young immigrant in the United States to being a leading figure in the development of artificial intelligence exemplifies the power of determination, perseverance, and commitment. Her legacy is not just one of scientific achievement but also compassion and leadership, inspiring countless individuals to envision a future where technology advances with humanity at its heart.
Written by Katrina Anete Šveide
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