Stephen Ibaraki: How a Futurist Is Making Global Impact Through AI for Good

You don't find many people who've built a computer at age 10, have a mysterious gene that allows for almost endless work, or have earned over 40 recognitions from Microsoft. But Stephen Ibaraki is that extraordinary blend of tireless work ethic, endless curiosity, and a gift for solving unsolvable problems. What's behind his success? Is it the persistence? The lack of sleep? Or is it something more profound?

When it comes to pinpointing Stephen's influence in technology, finance, and entrepreneurship, his extensive résumé speaks for itself. With a career holding more than 100 executive roles, he has shaped multiple fields in ways few others have managed.

Among his notable positions, Stephen served as the chair of various UN ITU events related to digital financial services and artificial intelligence. His dedication to technological growth and understanding extends to his roles as long time board member, chair board PDC and past co-chair of the Practitioner Board Association for Computing Machinery, founding chair of the Global Industry Council, and vice-chair board of IP3 International Federation for Information Processing. His entrepreneurial spirit thrives as the founding managing partner of REDDS Capital.

But his titles hardly stop there.

Stephen has been a teacher, industry analyst, writer, consultant, and former president of the Canadian Information Processing Society, CIPS. Today, he finds himself active as a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, futurist, and speaker. Perhaps most notably, in a strong field, he is the founder of the UN ITU AI for Good Global Summit—a global platform that promotes AI for inclusivity, sustainability, health, climate.

This year, Stephen estimates the summit had a reach of 3 billion people—yes, billion with a “b”—and was featured across media, from the Guardian to CNN. Add to that his ongoing role as a keynote speaker at major conferences, and you begin to see the picture of a man whose reach and ambition knows few bounds. Oh, did I mention he received 18 consecutive Microsoft MVP awards since 2006?

Stephen's ability to continually innovate, inspire, and lead resonates across his diverse roles. His bio might read like the accomplishments of multiple people, but it's all Stephen — a single force relentlessly pushing the boundaries of technology, finance, and global impact.

An Intersection of Interests

It's no understatement to say Stephen's interests are broad. From tech to finance, to sustainability, he's done it all. But how? "It's not that I'm passive; I'm an active contributor to everything I do," Stephen shares. His philosophy is rooted in a formal process called "stepwise refinement," a method of breaking big problems into smaller, more manageable tasks.

For Stephen, this isn't just an abstract concept—it's a way of life that began with reading encyclopedias as a child. "I used to read encyclopedias every day and had an interest in science," he recalls, and these varied interests now empower him to take on complex challenges with ease.

But it's not all intellectual curiosity. Stephen's familial lineage plays a role in his ability to tackle the world. "There seems to be a rare gene that occurs in a small fraction of people who can do a lot of work and not need much sleep," he confides, though he admits he doesn't recommend his 140-hour weeks to others.

Stephen's success isn't the product of a gifted mind or a rare gene. He extends the theory of "grit," proposed by psychologist Angela Duckworth, into his formula. "Some ability plus a lot of hard work, and a lot of skill. A lot of hard work makes achievement," he notes, adding optimism and luck into the mix.

But perhaps the most uplifting aspect of Stephen's success isn't his recognitions or his accomplishments—it's his desire to see others succeed. "I'm just like anybody else across these, you know, 1,000 or 10,000 variables," he insists. For Stephen, the real recognition is seeing someone else achieve their goals.

With more than 40 recognitions from Microsoft over six decades, Stephen's accolades are numerous. But what resonates the most with him is not the awards themselves but the impact he's made on others.

"When I help somebody and they want to help me back, I say, ‘You succeed. That's my payment.’”

The Art of Investing

When it comes to identifying and evaluating promising startups and technologies, Stephen’s extensive experience across various fields gives him a unique perspective. Stephen detailed his approach to investments, especially in his work with REDDS Capital, highlighting the factors that make opportunities stand out to him.

Stephen's investment strategy is rooted in "deal flow," the constant stream of investment opportunities he encounters. Leveraging his connections across investments, sovereign funds, top science communities, UN programs, and more, Stephen has unparalleled insight into innovation and impact. His involvement in various programs like judging AI for Good, the largest scaling AI solutions program in the world, enables him to see thousands of funneled and pre-checked startups. Stephen emphasized, "we probably see a million really funneled down to the ones that we then decide to say we're going to support."

What Makes an Opportunity Stand Out?

For Stephen, identifying the most promising investment opportunities is not a haphazard process. He considers several crucial factors that guide his decision-making:

• Intellectual Property and Global Scalability: Stephen seeks startups with unique, defensible intellectual property that can scale globally. He believes that solutions should not be confined to a specific region but should have the potential to create global impact.
• Early Stage Engagement: Typically investing in the seed or pre-seed round, Stephen values the opportunity to influence and support startups early in their journey.
• Team Dynamics and Entrepreneurial Spirit: Experience on both the technical and business side is essential. The team must demonstrate adaptability, openness to pivot, perseverance, and cohesion. Stephen also values a coachable team that's willing to consider alternative perspectives.
• Judicious Scaling and Market-Product Fit: Stephen emphasizes not scaling prematurely, running lean, and being smart with spending. A solution must address a real problem, have market validation, and the team must actively work on their go-to-market strategy and commercialization.
• Continuous Validation and Best Practices: Ensuring that a startup's idea is not only great but also financially viable is key. Stephen refers to best practices and models like the 9 levels of investment readiness and follows insights from groups like CB Insights and Pitchbook.
• Networking and Community Engagement: Engaging with like-minded communities of startups and investors that provide mentorship, advice, and support also contributes to success.

Stephen's approach to investment is not simply a checklist; it's a comprehensive, multi-faceted perspective that considers the broader ecosystem of the startup world.

And most of all, his investment philosophy reflects just how much he puts into everything he does. His strategy in identifying and nurturing promising startups is but one aspect of his multi-dimensional career, a testament to the thoughtfulness and rigor he applies across all his endeavors, just as he did with AI for Good.

A Pioneering Vision: The Genesis of AI for Good

For Stephen, the concept of AI for Good isn’t a trend, it’s been a lifelong commitment. Having been involved in the broader sphere of AI since the 1960s and 1970s, he integrated AI into his work as early as the 1980s. By embedding AI into a project for Canada's Atomic Energy Radiopharmaceutical program, he took on a global challenge when others couldn't. This was not merely a technological leap but a realization of commercial possibilities in 1986, long before the recent AI boom.

Even in the 1980s, he understood that AI could pose risks. He began to explore the essential framework of a code of ethics in technical development. Through his involvement with the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), Stephen emphasized the importance of considering the consequences of technological development. As one of the founding fellows of CIPS, his advocacy for ethics and professionalism in technology became a defining part of his career.

During the UN's development of the Millennium Development Goals, Stephen advocated for the integration of technology and tech for good, though this idea was initially overlooked. With the transition to the Sustainable Development Goals from 2000 to 2015, his involvement deepened.

His work culminated in a serendipitous meeting with leaders within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) at the UN. What was planned as a brief lunch discussion evolved into a long-lasting collaboration that gave birth to AI for Social Good. With the support of ITU as the secretariat, the project began to take shape. Stephen’s ability to connect with corporations, UN agencies, and other players became crucial in building this vision.

But the journey was not without its hurdles. Early on, there was pushback from corporations and member countries, requiring a shift in approach. However, the dedication of Stephen and his team, working long hours and sacrificing personal time, allowed AI for Good to become an institution. With 25,000 participants at the largest robotics forum and an estimated media reach of 3 billion, AI for Good has grown into a global phenomenon.

Stephen is quick to credit others for the success of AI for Good. He highlights the significant contributions of Reinhard Scholl, Chaesub Lee, Fred Werner, the UN, and early sponsors like Microsoft. In emphasizing collaboration, he illustrates that his role was one part of a much larger effort. While his day-to-day involvement has lessened, his legacy and passion for the ethical use of AI continue to shape the global conversation.

A Futurist’s Perspective on AI

As the world grapples with pressing issues like climate change and a technological revolution, the question arises: How does AI fit into solving these problems?

Stephen sees the duality of any innovation, including AI. He articulated this view with a clear analogy, stating: “Even too much of a vitamin is not good for you…let’s try to optimize and focus on the positive consequences."

For Stephen, it’s important to highlight the transformative power of AI on science, playing a crucial role in areas like drug discovery, disease prevention, and understanding Alzheimer's. With tools like Alpha Fold from DeepMind, what might have taken 100,000 years with traditional techniques was achieved in mere months.

The energy sector also stands to benefit immensely from AI's optimization abilities. From advancing fusion technology to creating compact nuclear reactors to enhancing solar cell conversion, Stephen sees potential for a broad range of applications that could revolutionize the way we consume and store energy.

He points out: "AI techniques are being used to optimize fusion. And we already have 2 instances here in the US and in France of getting more energy out than in… if we apply AI to that, maybe we can get us a small, compact nuclear reactor."

Moreover, Stephen touches on how AI could be a vital tool in the fight against climate change. By utilizing AI for new kinds of energy storage, carbon capture, and even in the realm of food sustainability through protein replacements, the technology becomes a part of the solution, not merely a catalyst for more problems.

A Flashlight in the Fog

When asked if he is hopeful about the future, Stephen's response was layered with reflections on a lifetime spent envisioning what lies ahead. He doesn't shy away from the chaos and conflict that characterize our time—he is quick to point out that “we haven’t hit the bottom” yet. But he sees, after a struggle, a potential bright future for humanity.

"But at the end of it, we will get out of it. And I believe that the tech for good side is going to be part of that equation as well. And that there'll be a coming together of humanity, and in a way that we won't be able to predict now... But please have hope. Continue work on tech for good and impact, and doing things that are for the benefit of all and the benefit of all ecosystems, and have resilience to ride out the continual chaos.”

This perspective on the future parallels Stephen’s perspective on self-growth. His philosophy is one of gradual, focused progress. He described his approach as "stepwise refinement," encouraging persistence and resilience:

“No matter what the problem is, you incrementally work towards that positive outcome. And you will get that positive outcome more often than not. And even when it doesn't, you still learn."

Stephen encapsulates this idea in a powerful metaphor, likening life's journey to a foggy climb towards a mountaintop, guided only by a flashlight, where all you can see is the next step ahead of you: "Have the courage, have the fortitude and resilience to take those next steps. Even sometimes if you have to take a few backward steps or take those steps, you incrementally keep going, you will reach the goal. And that goal will then open up other mountaintops and other opportunities."

The future, for Stephen, is one of stepwise refinement. His perspective on AI and technology is one of balanced optimism and caution, a blending of visionary ideas with down-to-earth wisdom.

His thoughts are not just about technology's impact on the future; they're a roadmap for how to navigate the present, how to cultivate resilience, and how to foster hope.

His voice resonates not just as a predictor of what's to come but as a mentor guiding us through the complex maze of our times. The future, through Stephen's eyes, is not a foreboding unknown, but a landscape ripe with opportunity, waiting for those brave enough to take those next incremental steps.

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Images courtesy of: Stephen Ibaraki, Reuters, UN ITU AI for Good, AlphaFold