Fei-Fei Li warns US AI backlash threatens global tech progress, as Pew data shows half of Americans more worried than excited. World Labs CEO calls for positive messaging.
Fei-Fei Li, the AI pioneer sometimes called the “Godmother of AI,” warned that growing US skepticism toward the technology could slow global progress. The US must set a positive example and demonstrate AI’s economic value, she said in an interview with Bloomberg News published Wednesday.
“If we are not showing a positive attitude and positive path toward AI, everybody loses,” said Li, co-founder and CEO of World Labs.
Her warning lands against a backdrop of rising public unease. Pew Research Center data shows half of Americans feel more worried than excited about AI’s integration into daily life. Many US communities have pushed back against data centers, citing high water and energy consumption. By contrast, Pew found that several Asian nations view AI more favorably, a difference Li attributed to those countries making AI a focus of early education.
Li acknowledged that the scientific and educational communities may have failed to communicate AI’s benefits effectively. “I take it sometimes upon myself thinking that we’ve done a bad job communicating with the public,” she said.
World Labs, which Li co-founded, raised $1 billion in February to develop “world models” that help AI navigate and make decisions in three-dimensional environments. She believes the technology will eventually revolutionize fields such as robotics and healthcare.
Recent PYMNTS Intelligence research, cited in the same Bloomberg report, shows that stronger results and time savings are driving more frequent AI use. Between 58% and 69% of consumers who already use AI now use it more often than when they first started, depending on the task. The report described a “reinforcing cycle”: better tools produce better results, users learn to give better instructions, and the combination makes AI useful for a wider range of activities.
The pattern suggests AI adoption is deepening even as public skepticism remains high. For the sector, the tension between growing consumer reliance and rising political backlash could shape investment and regulatory decisions in the months ahead.
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