Fei-Fei Li, a trailblazer in artificial intelligence, has successfully raised $230 million for her new venture, World Labs. The San Francisco-based startup, co-founded by Li and three other experts in computer vision, aims to develop cutting-edge AI models that understand and interpret the three-dimensional physical world, advancing beyond the capabilities of current AI technologies that focus on text and images.
World Labs is pioneering in “spatial intelligence,” a technology designed to enhance AI systems’ ability to comprehend 3D environments. This innovation is poised to revolutionize fields such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and robotics. The recent funding round attracted notable investors including Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates, and Radical Ventures, with additional support from major tech companies like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia.
The startup, which employs a team of 20, is working on creating “large world models” (LWMs) that integrate both real-world and synthetic data to train AI systems. These models will utilize transformer-based architectures, similar to those in OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but with potential advancements hinted at by Li.
Li, often referred to as the “godmother of AI” for her pioneering work on the ImageNet dataset, continues to push the boundaries of AI technology. While current AI models excel in generating text and images, they fall short in understanding 3D world structures. World Labs seeks to address this gap, aiming to reduce the common “hallucinations” seen in generative models.
In addition to her role at World Labs, Li will maintain her academic position at Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI Institute. Her entrepreneurial spirit is not new; during her time at Princeton, she also managed a family business, showcasing her relentless drive and commitment.
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