s PECIAL REPORT
O
ver the past 15 years, Li Fei-Fei, director of the Stanford
Artificial Intelligence Lab and the Stanford Vision Lab,
has been working on algorithms that enable computers
and robots to perceive and learn from the world. She cherishes the
idea that machines will eventually understand the world and society
in which humans live.
In early 2017, Li joined Google Cloud AI and Machine Learning,
believing that as AI technology reaches more people, it will have a
more profound industrial and academic impact. In an interview with
ChinaReport, she shared her unique views on the prospects of AI, its
market potential, and challenges for this rapidly-growing field.ChinaReport: How will AI impact our lives?
Li Fei-Fei: AI is a science and technology with a history of more
than six decades, and its main function is to make machines and
computers more intelligent. During the latest boom in AI, data and
algorithms brought forth a breakthrough in the computing capaci-
ties of AI. I believe that AI will impact our lives in many aspects but
in most cases, AI won’t be a distinct entity but will provide greater
convenience. For example, doctors needing assistance in diagnosis,
the management of medical data and chronic diseases. AI will play
an increasingly large role propelled by data and algorithms. In trans-
portation, AI has altered travel through self-driving cars, computing
optimisation of big data and even the matching of supply and de-
mand. I believe AI will impact various vertical industries, including
agriculture, finance, healthcare and entertainment.CR: How will AI be present?
LFF: Like the best technology, you won’t be able to feel it. Take
electricity for example. Nowadays, we take electricity for granted asthe power source of lights, lifts and computers because electricity has
become part of our daily life and we are not likely to be consciously
aware of its existence. It is the same situation for AI. It is not impor-
tant whether we are aware of the existence of AI; what is crucial is that
the innovative technology could make our society and basic necessi-
ties of life better and more convenient.CR: Can AI eventually replace humans?
LFF: I think we should be very careful about using the word “re-
place.” Looking back to past scientific and technical advancements
as well as the new industrial revolutions in the 20th century, you will
find that to a great extent science and technology played a crucial role
in facilitating our work. Technological advances made professional
life easier for journalists, teachers, and doctors.
Nowadays it is not rare for machines to write news stories but it
would never compete with journalists in investigative reporting and
news analysis. The relationships between AI and humans are in most
cases cooperative or supportive. Look at doctors. It is unlikely that AI
will take over the job of doctors but what I want to see in the future is
AI algorithms helping doctors offer better and more effective diagno-
sis and treatment for patients.CR: Where do you expect AI will play a bigger role?
LFF: I expect to see that AI will play a bigger role in health care,
making medical resources more accessible to the general public at a
time when many people worldwide still lack basic health care. Google
Brain has recently published its studies using AI to conduct medical
diagnosis including diabetes checkups through scanning the eyeball,
and diagnosis of breast cancer through AI. You can imagine that doc-
tors have to read a lot of medical images and AI could play a helpfulAI in China
technology Changes everything
Famed artificial intelligence researcher Li Fei-Fei says industry and academia need to cooperate
to reap the field’s benefits
By Liu Xiaoying