The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI

A perfect blend of human interest and guidance on the history and future of AI. Inspiring achievements against very difficult challenges.

I read many books about and by scientific innovators. For instance, I've read every serious biography of Newton, Faraday, Maxwell, Galois, Darwin, Descartes, Benjamin Franklin, Gibbs, etc. I love this book. I am fascinated by this woman. No book written by or about a scientist has moved me the way Fei Fei Li's book has. She frequently brought me to tears as I read about the fierce curiosity that drove her to pursue one important field of knowledge after another (degree in physics, graduate degree in EE, reading great literature, studying important works of are, etc.) until she found her passion. She's focused on figuring out (a) how the human mind works and (b) can we create human-level or better artificial intelligence. Ms Li faced and overcame difficulties that would have wilted 99% of today's American young people. And all with a grounded, upbeat attitude that redefines "refreshing." If you're interested in understanding how the rare true scientific mind arises from the most surprising backgrounds, read this book. If you love a grand adventure with cliffhanger after cliffhanger, read this book. If you love reading biographies of major scientific innovators as much as I do, read this book. If you want to be moved by the story of a young girl, an immigrant who could barely speak English when she arrived in Parsippany, NJ at age 15 or 16, and who has become on of the world's leading AI researchers, read this book. If you want to develop a scientific laymen's understanding of AI, read this book. If you want to be inspired to pursue your passion against all odds, read this book. Got it? Read this book.

The A.I. here for me stands for “Amazing and Inspirational” - A book written by someone whom I share some immigration experience (partially with her parents and partially with herself ) was what it got me wanting to check out this book (pre-ordered actually), but it turned out way more than just an immigrant scientist’s story.It’s amazing because it felt not like a book written by a top-notch computer scientist whom we usually associate with nerdiness and non-artistic, but by a crafty fiction writer or novelist who managed to carry her readers through emotional up and down as her journey as an immigrant, a foreign student, a laundromat assistant operator, a Princeton student and scholar, and now a world-renown AI scientist, progressed, with powerful and beautiful narratives.It’s inspirational as it is a story of an immigrant family that faced the typical daunting challenges - languages, foreign environment, physical and fiscal poverty, but was able to overcome them with hardworking, self-discipline, perseverance, and the invaluable helps and loves from other kind-hearted people like the Sabellas family as permanently presented throughout the book. The inspiration drawn from this book is much more than an immigrant student who loves science and made it to top, it’s the author’s humility to account for those who had helped make her to the top.Over the years I had read many books and articles about the promise and perils of Artificial Intelligence (back to the original AI) , but I would say that this book, not only by the scientist who contributed significantly to the uprising of AGI (most notably through her work of creating the ImageNet with her student Dr. Jia Deng) hooked me as the most artistically and humanly narrated. Yes, Human-Centered AI, it must be the way to go!Looking forward to the sequel as it was lightly hinted at the end of the book.

Dr Fei-Fei Li shares her heartwarming story about leaving China with her parents and coming to America to pursue her passion of studying AI. She details her experience living as an immigrant and struggling to balance caring for her mom with following her dreams and having a career.Dr Li is living proof of the American dream. She follows her passion and gains success as a leading figure in the field of AI. Her central purpose of learning more about the world guides her decisions and leads her to thriving in academia and the corporate world. Her projects served as milestones in the development of AI and machine learning. The freedom she enjoyed allowed her to overcome any obstacles that stood in her path and persistently follow her dreams.This book provides an inside glimpse of the differences between academia and the private sector, while also examining the major topics of AI and the life changing potential it holds.Highly recommend. Story is told in a personal manner that is both inspiring and illuminating; and demonstrates the importance of having a life purpose and pursuing one’s passion.

Great personal story about Fei-Fei and interesting read about the evolution of AI. However, even though Fei-Fei seems well aware of the dangers of AI and is trying to shape it for good, it’s telling that she would apply an AI sledge-hammer to hospital hand washing compliance—aside from the fact that it would cost a fortune to deploy, it failed.

Good reading about a successful story of an immigrant to US, middle-class to poor to middle-class.

I'm with the other positive reviewers on this one. Fei-Fei Li's autobiography is something special.I would like to point out one thing that I continuously thought while reading the book. It's not every day you read a book by someone so accomplished who doesn't make it all about them.Li talks about the people who've helped her along the way and the teams she's worked with. It's clear she's good at bringing folks together and pointing them in the right direction, but she doesn't brag about it.The book isn't just about her, it's about progress in science and the importance of teamwork. It's not just about one person's achievements, but about how we all move forward together - in personal and in professional life.In short, Li's book is a refreshing read that puts the spotlight on the people behind the scenes and the power of teamwork. It's a nice reminder that success is a group effort.

The book excited me (a Japanese at the age of 64) so much that I want to write a review comprehensively from three viewpoints: first, her own and her parents' journeys for North Star - I am now confident in believing her commitment to the US and the democratic world. Second, her research of AI - I appreciate she addresses Dr.Fukushima. And, finally, her challenge in apply AI to society in the form of 'human-centered' technology - I get a suggestion about coexistence of people and technology.

Not since the 80's when I read the book, The Soul of A New Machine have I had the same sense of wonder at the complexity of what was unfolding and what it would mean for the future of humankind.

Mostly, not too nerdy explanation of AI and where it may be going. Fei Fei Li’s use of English is amazingly elegant especially considering it is not her first language.