Why this AI pioneer is calling for ‘human centered’ computing

Fei-Fei Li was a high school junior in Parsippany, N.J., when she turned to her math teacher for help — but not with math. On Nov. 14 Li joins the L.A. Times Book Club to discuss “The Worlds I See” as part of a live streaming conversation about the growth of AI and its impact on humanity. “So I rewrote the book, and this time, we adopted a double helix structure, the true fact that my own coming of age coincides with AI’s coming of age.” Li is best known as the lead researcher behind the development of ImageNet, a database of more than 14 million images developed as a way to help computers “see” and describe the world. She also co-founded AI4ALL, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding opportunities to study computing for underrepresented youth, including girls, people of color and people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with an ultimate goal of creating AI systems that are more ethical and “human centered.” While Li is inspired by the human brain, “the most intricate thinking machine of the universe,” she says the technology of artificial intelligence needs to be understood as very different and complementary — an enhancement, rather than a replacement. If the media and policymakers become obsessed with the threat of a rogue machine from some science fiction movie, then “we’re really missing the opportunity of galvanizing our society to take on responsibility and human agency to tackle the more tangible issues.” In June, Li was among AI experts who met with President Biden in San Francisco, and she urged him to support a “moonshot mentality” in which the government would invest in artificial intelligence and take on a more active role in regulation.