The Rundown AI: “Spatial Intelligence”

Posted on November 11, 2025 by michelleclarke2015
AI ‘godmother’ advocates for spatial intelligence
Image source: Reve / The Rundown
The Rundown: Famed AI specialist Dr. Fei-Fei Li just published a new essay detailing why the next breakthrough in AI will come from spatial intelligence, or systems that can understand, reason about, and generate 3D, physics-consistent worlds.
The details:
Li argues that while LLMs have mastered abstract knowledge, they lack the ability to perceive and act in space (things like estimating distance and motion).She said spatial understanding is the cognitive core of human intelligence and a crucial step to take AI from language to perception and action.World models, Li said, will be key to building this intelligence, but they need the ability to create realistic 3D worlds, understand inputs like images and actions, and predict how those worlds change over time.She added that these models will ultimately unlock new advances in robotics, science, healthcare, and design by enabling AI to reason in the real world.
Why it matters: World models that understand how objects move and interact could one day predict molecular reactions, model climate systems, or test materials. The challenge lies in teaching AI real-world physics, but momentum is building fast with Li’s World Labs, Google, and Tencent all racing to bring spatially intelligent systems to life.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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