Fei-Fei Li calls for independent oversight of AI safety
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Fei-Fei Li, Stanford professor and co-founder of World Labs, called for independent and public-sector oversight of artificial intelligence, arguing that safety assessments of increasingly powerful AI systems should not be left solely to the companies developing them. In a Bloomberg Television interview, Li emphasized the importance of standards set by government, industry, and academia, and said the responsibility must be shared. Her comments come amid heightened concern over AI risks, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently urging slower development of frontier models and set to address the UN Security Council on AI safety. Li noted that existential risks from AI depend on how humans choose to develop, govern, and use the technology, drawing parallels to past technologies like electricity and steam engines. She stressed that humanity must retain control over AI, stating 'AI is not about AI, it is about humans.' Her remarks contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump, who dismissed AI existential threats as a 'hoax' at the UN General Assembly. Li also discussed her company World Labs, which is developing 'world models' to generate and reconstruct 3D environments for applications in robotics, design, and healthcare.
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Source: Bloomberg
Artificial intelligence pioneer Fei-Fei Li has called for stronger oversight of the technology by independent and public-sector entities, arguing that safety assessments of increasingly powerful AI systems should not be the sole responsibility of the companies that develop them.
Li, a Stanford professor and co-founder of World Labs, said Tuesday that while internal researchers at AI companies can evaluate the capabilities and safety attributes of individual models, this cannot replace broader standards set by government, industry, and academic institutions.
"I still believe in the importance of independent institutions and public-sector institutions like academia setting benchmarks, as well as the shared responsibility of industry and government," Li said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
Concerns over the potential risks of increasingly powerful AI systems have surged after Silicon Valley leaders warned that the technology could advance too quickly for human control. In recent weeks, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have called for a slowdown in the development of cutting-edge models. Both are scheduled to discuss AI safety with the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.
Li said the potential existential risks of AI ultimately depend on how people choose to develop, govern, and use the technology. She noted that this principle applies beyond AI, citing technologies such as electricity, steam engines, and modern transportation, which all require society to balance potential benefits against human safety.
"Humans have the power of technology," Li said. "We must take control of it," she added. "AI is not about AI. It's about humans. It's about our shared and individual dignity and autonomy, and our responsibility."
Li's comments add to an intense debate among policymakers and AI industry leaders over how seriously to take warnings about the most extreme risks of the technology. Earlier Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, dismissed concerns about existential threats from AI, calling them a "scam" and emphasizing the need to continue developing the technology at full speed.
Li said discussions about AI system behavior are moving beyond the so-called frontier models driving the current wave of enthusiasm. Her company, World Labs, is developing what it calls "world models" that can generate and reconstruct three-dimensional environments. She said the technology could be used to train and evaluate robots, as well as support applications in industries such as design and healthcare.
As these systems move toward practical applications, Li said the industry faces the same fundamental question: how to evaluate increasingly powerful AI and determine whether it is functioning as intended.
Original article: Bloomberg
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Fei-Fei Li urges independent oversight of AI safety, not just developer self-assessment