At the opening of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit at Paris’s Grand Palais, Fei-Fei Li, a renowned Stanford researcher and founder of World Labs, called for reconsidering approaches to artificial intelligence regulation.
In her speech, Li took a unique position, simultaneously supporting business and criticizing the monopoly of large technology companies in AI. “We need to invest in creating a healthier and more dynamic AI ecosystem where the academic community can conduct research,” she told conference delegates.
The researcher placed special emphasis on the need for broad participation of various forces in technology development: “Open source developer communities and the public sector must have the opportunity to participate and play their critical role alongside large companies in advancing this technology. If AI is going to change the world, we need people from all walks of life to participate in shaping these changes.”
Li warned about the risks of concentrating resources in the hands of a few companies: “If these resources are concentrated in just a few companies, the AI ecosystem will suffer from a lack of curiosity-driven research, better educational talent, open-source community efforts, and interdisciplinary research.”
Special attention in the speech was given to AI regulation issues. Without naming specific governments or laws, Li called for a more pragmatic approach: “Above all, it’s important that we are guided by science, not science fiction. Too many modern discussions about AI are surrounded by sensationalism, leading to misguided governance policies. Instead, we need to apply a more scientific method in assessing AI’s capabilities and limitations, which can lead to more accurate and effective policy decisions.”
Concluding her speech, the researcher also cautioned against introducing excessive restrictions on artificial intelligence research, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to regulating this field.
