# Stop funding the wrong future: A manifesto for AI-native impact Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrZXt_qt9lM Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/vrZXt_qt9lM Generated: 2026-01-16T17:06:45.861+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The speaker advocates for a shift in funding priorities within the social impact sector, urging investors and leaders to fund disruptive, AI-native organizations rather than incremental innovations, referencing three core manifestos: Fund Disruption, Not Innovation; Fund Leaders, Not Laggards; and Fund Impact, Not Programs, to achieve systemic positive change by 2028. **Key Points:** - The speaker proposes a manifesto arguing against funding incremental innovation and instead focusing on funding disruption to solve global challenges effectively. - Manifesto #2 advocates funding AI-native leaders who understand how to leverage technology for systemic change, rather than funding laggards or those focused only on basic AI tool usage (like ChatGPT). - The speaker claims that 30% of requests received by Tech To The Rescue could be solved by existing AI solutions, indicating a failure to fund truly disruptive ideas. - Digital Enablement Programs are criticized for teaching basic skills (like using ChatGPT) while failing to teach redesigning processes or thinking in AI-native workflows. - Manifesto #3 stresses funding 'Impact, Not Programs,' arguing that current systems often reward organizations that lie about impact, leading to wasted investment. - The speaker cites the example of Maria, an educator in São Paulo, whose AI-native approach to helping refugees is already demonstrating significant impact, contrasting with organizations stuck in old models. - The ultimate goal is to enable AI-native organizations to achieve exponential impact by focusing on systemic transformation rather than small, incremental improvements. ![Screenshot at 00:04: The initial slide introduces the event: 'AI for Good Global Summit,' scheduled for 8-11 July 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, emphasizing identifying innovative AI applications to solve global challenges.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vrZXt_qt9lM/00-00-04.jpg) **Context:** Jacek Siadkowski, Co-Founder and CEO of Tech To The Rescue (TTTR), presents a manifesto outlining critical shifts needed in how funding is allocated within the social impact and non-profit sectors. He uses his organization's experience working with over 100 leading nonprofits to illustrate flawed funding patterns and proposes three core principles for achieving genuine, scalable impact in the AI era, looking ahead to 2028. ## Detailed Analysis Jacek Siadkowski delivers a keynote speech titled "Stop Funding the Wrong Future: A Manifesto for AI-native Impact," arguing that current funding mechanisms in the social impact space are fundamentally flawed and hinder real progress. He outlines three key manifestos that should guide investment: 1. Fund Disruption, Not Innovation; 2. Fund Leaders, Not Laggards; and 3. Fund Impact, Not Programs. He highlights that many organizations are stuck in an 'imagination' gap, unable to envision systemic change (like Maria, a São Paulo educator, who uses AI agents to help refugees). He critiques 'Digital Enablement Programs' for focusing on basic AI tasks (like using ChatGPT) instead of teaching fundamental shifts like redesigning processes for AI abundance or thinking in AI-native workflows. He cites data showing that 30% of requests TTTR receives could be solved by existing tools, suggesting wasted investment on incrementalism. The core message is that funders must shift resources away from organizations that produce only modest, incremental improvements or rely on inflated impact reports, and instead back AI-native leaders who possess the courage, skills, and leadership to fundamentally reinvent their organizations for exponential social impact. ### Manifesto #1 - Fund Disruption, Not Innovation: Stop funding incremental improvements (like fancy spreadsheets) and start funding disruptive approaches that move beyond the status quo, like funding cars instead of faster horses. ### Manifesto #2 - Fund Leaders, Not Laggards: Fund AI-native people who can automate processes and rethink their organizations from scratch, rather than funding those who are unwilling or unable to embrace fundamental change. ### Manifesto #3 - Fund Impact, Not Programs: Stop rewarding lies about impact; focus funding on organizations that achieve demonstrable, scalable results rather than rewarding those who simply run programs, citing the case of Maria who created a viral solution for refugees. ### The Problem with Current Funding - Funders often support old models and punish leaders who try radical change, resulting in organizations that are only slightly better rather than truly transformative. ### The Future - AI-native organizations can balance human empathy with AI capabilities to achieve exponential impact, which is necessary to solve global challenges by 2028. ### AI for Changemakers Initiative - TTTR launched an initiative to provide AI enablement for 111 leading nonprofits, learning patterns to help organizations embrace necessary, disruptive change. ![Screenshot at 00:02: The abstract logo animation for the AI for Good Global Summit, featuring a rainbow-colored arrow forming the shape of an 'A'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vrZXt_qt9lM/00-00-02.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:08: The initial slide for the keynote presentation by Jacek Siadkowski, titled 'Stop funding the wrong future: A manifesto for AI-native impact'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vrZXt_qt9lM/00-00-08.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:01: Slide displaying the Tech To The Rescue team celebrating with the text 'TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYONE', contrasting with the speaker's serious tone.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vrZXt_qt9lM/00-02-01.jpg) ![Screenshot at 04:02: Slide introducing 'THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH' with a silhouette of an elephant in an office setting, symbolizing an unaddressed major issue.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vrZXt_qt9lM/00-04-02.jpg) ![Screenshot at 05:31: Slide showing 'TRUTH 2: Digital Enablement Programs Suck,' featuring a split image of a man looking primitive on one side and digitally engaged on the other, highlighting poor training focus in digital programs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vrZXt_qt9lM/00-05-31.jpg)