Revolution in the making

She acknowledged that AI is viewed by some as a new source of competition between countries. However, as a scientist, Li says she believes science has no national boundaries, and she hopes to see more cooperation and communication across borders.

Li also notes there is a shortage worldwide of AI talent, whether in the United States or in China.

"I hope to mobilize more global talent to participate in AI research because it is such an important field of science and technology," she says.

Asked about the potential for women in the sector, the female scientist says more work is needed. "AI will change the world, but who will change AI? We want AI to be more inclusive and diverse."

Li, who is also the director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab, has made a successful transition from academia.

"I see the historical moment AI is experiencing: It has stepped out of the lab and has entered the stage of industrial applications," she says.

Li is certainly at the heart of the historical moment.

"I hope to bring AI technology to most people and most industries," she says, adding that this will have a profound impact on daily life.

Li says technology in this area has become relatively mature, especially facial recognition and object tracking technology, which have been used in smart shopping, driverless cars and medical imaging and pathological analysis.

Potential application scenarios for AI are countless, says Li.

And financial services, media and entertainment, business, medicine, energy, education, and manufacturing, are among the sectors deemed especially ripe for future growth.

"AI's use in the development of these industries has just started, but look at the massive demand," she says.

As for entirely new industries that might be spawned through AI, Li says: "When John von Neumann came up with the idea of a computer, few people thought software engineering would become an industry. We need an adequate imagination."