Fei-Fei Li says she runs her AI startup like a ‘tiger mom’

Fei-Fei Li says running an AI startup has brought out her “tiger mom” side.

In an interview with Bloomberg released on Wednesday, the Stanford professor, known for creating ImageNet and often called the “Godmother of AI,” said that her seniority at the startup has put her in a bit of a parental role.

Li cofounded World Labs in 2024. The startup is developing “world models” designed to help AI understand and interact with 3D environments. Earlier this year, the company announced $1 billion in new funding from investors including AMD, Autodesk, and Nvidia.

“I’m by far the most senior in the company,” Li said. “From my co-founders to my engineers…