Joichi Ito, a Japanese entrepreneur and venture capitalist, is widely recognized for his innovative work in the technology and internet industries. As the former director of the MIT Media Lab, Ito helped foster creativity and collaboration in emerging technologies. He has been an advocate for digital rights, openness, and innovation. His legacy inspires entrepreneurs, especially in the tech industry, to push boundaries, embrace change, and use their platforms to drive positive impact and ethical development in a rapidly evolving world.
"The US constitution's First Amendment rights only cover Americans, but I believe that in a democracy the competition of ideas and free speech should combat beliefs that it does not agree with - more speech and debate, not censorship."
"Liberty, freedom and democracy are very fuzzy words, but human rights is very specific."
"I agree that it is not just the extremists who harbor bad thoughts or engage in bad acts, but they are usually the source of the polarization and try to keep education and communication of the main stream from moving forward."
"The idea of trying to fight against extremism was written off as naive."
"When there is a huge force pressing down on freedoms, sub-cultures with more creativity and power are likely to form."
"There was a very convincing argument made that the extremists have won and the aggression is now supported by the majority, therefore fighting until surrender was the only alternative."
"Most creative work is a process of people passing ideas and inspirations from the past into the future and adding their own creativity along the way."
"We discussed the history of postwar Japan and how Japan had missed an opportunity to build a more functional democracy because of the focus on fighting communism driven in large part by the American occupation."
"I talked about the barriers created by monopolies. I said that it was the role of government to break up these monopolies and that we couldn't do it alone."
"I have always viewed my role as a sort of ambassador or bridge between groups to help provide a dialog."