Fei-Fei Li, widely hailed as the “Godmother of AI” for her pioneering role in advancing computer vision through the creation of ImageNet, has risen from humble beginnings to lead World Labs, a one-year-old artificial intelligence startup now valued at over $1 billion. Born in China and immigrating to the U.S. at 15, Li and her family faced financial hardship, running a dry-cleaning business in Parsippany, New Jersey. She worked there from age 18 through much of her graduate studies, managing customer calls, billing, and operations—tasks she humorously referred to as being the “CEO.” This early experience instilled in her a deep sense of resilience, a trait she credits as essential not only for surviving as an immigrant but also for succeeding in scientific research, where failure and uncertainty are constant companions. Her academic journey took her to Princeton for her undergraduate degree, followed by a Ph.D. at Caltech, where she continued to oversee the dry cleaner remotely, balancing two worlds with remarkable dedication. Today, as founder of World Labs, Li is at the forefront of developing “world models”—advanced AI systems designed to understand, perceive, reason, and interact with the physical world through spatial intelligence. These models represent a potential leap beyond current large language models, which rely heavily on text and lack embodied understanding. Li sees world models as the next frontier in AI, building on the visual intelligence foundation laid by ImageNet. Her vision aligns with that of leading AI figures like Meta’s Yann LeCun, who recently announced plans to launch his own world model venture. For Li, the thread connecting her past and present is curiosity—a passion for science that began in childhood and became her anchor. Her journey from a dry cleaner’s shop to leading a billion-dollar AI company exemplifies how perseverance, intellectual drive, and a commitment to understanding the world can transform lives and reshape technology. Industrielle Experten sehen Li als eine der einflussreichsten Figuren in der modernen KI-Entwicklung. Ihre Arbeit am ImageNet gilt als Wendepunkt, der die Entwicklung von tiefen neuronalen Netzen und moderner Bilderkennung maßgeblich vorantrieb. World Labs wird als ein potenzieller Kandidat für die nächste Generation von KI-Systemen angesehen, die nicht nur Text verarbeiten, sondern die physische Welt wirklich verstehen. Li selbst wird als inspirierende Figur für Frauen und Migranten in der Technikbranche betrachtet, die zeigt, dass Hintergrund und Herkunft keine Grenzen für wissenschaftliche und unternehmerische Spitzenleistungen setzen müssen.