Lenny's Podcast · November 16, 2025

The Godmother of AI on jobs, robots & why world models are next | Dr. Fei-Fei

with Dr. Fei Fei Li

Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Stanford's 'Godmother of AI', reveals why current AI systems can't perform tasks a toddler could master and what comes after large language models. Learn about world models - the next frontier in spatial intelligence that's already cutting production time by 40X in Hollywood. Discover why the bitter lesson that powered ChatGPT won't work for robotics, and get insider hiring advice for building AI teams. Essential listening for anyone navigating AI's evolution from hype to practical deployment.

Featured insight

AI is fundamentally limited today - it cannot count chairs in office videos like a toddler could, derive Newton's laws from celestial data, or provide the emotional intelligence of a teacher counseling a struggling student. We're still scratching the surface of what needs to be innovated. — Dr. Fei Fei Li

Best for: AI/ML engineers building spatial intelligence systems, Product leaders integrating AI into physical world applications, Startup founders developing robotics or computer vision products

Loading the full episode…