Stanford computer scientist Fei-Fei Li is unveiling a startup that aims to teach AI systems deep knowledge of physical reality. Investors are throwing money at it. Li—who earned the sobriquet the “godmother of AI”— believes in the future of AI. She cofound a company called World Labs. While current generative AI is language-based, she sees a frontier where systems construct complete worlds with the physics, logic, and rich detail of our physical reality.
“The physical world for computers is seen through cameras, and the computer brain behind the cameras,” Li says.
“Turning that vision into reasoning, generation, and eventual interaction involves understanding the physical structure and dynamics of the physical world. And that technology is called spatial intelligence.”
World Labs calls itself a spatial intelligence company, and its fate will help determine whether that term becomes a revolution or a punch line.
