Steve Brumby

Steve Brumby is a prominent figure in the field of artificial intelligence and geospatial technology, currently serving as the CEO/CTO and Co-Founder of Impact Observatory.1 His career is characterized by a strong focus on applying AI and machine learning to environmental monitoring and sustainability efforts.

Professional Background

Steve Brumby co-founded Impact Observatory, a mission-driven technology company that leverages AI for geospatial monitoring in environment, climate, and sustainability risk analysis.1 Under his leadership, the company has achieved significant milestones, including:

• Producing the world's first fully automated, high-resolution (10m) annual land use and land cover maps using deep learning at a global scale
• Releasing these maps as a digital public good through partnerships with Esri Living Atlas and Microsoft Azure Planetary Computer
• Contributing to the UN Biodiversity Lab and being featured in The New York Times for analyzing climate crisis impacts

Previous Roles

Before Impact Observatory, Brumby held several notable positions:

• Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute (January 2017 - January 2021)
• Led a team at National Geographic Society, applying machine learning and scientific modeling to various data sources for conservation efforts
• Technical co-founder of Descartes Labs, a venture-backed company focused on global-scale analysis of human activity and natural resources
• Senior Research Scientist and Principal Investigator at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

Achievements and Contributions

Throughout his career, Steve Brumby has made significant contributions to the field:

• Co-invented GENIE, a genetic algorithm system for image analysis that won an R&D Magazine R&D100 award in 2002
• Led the Video Analysis & Search Technology (VAST) project at LANL, developing deep-learning algorithms for large-scale video labeling
• Pioneered the use of commercial cloud systems for deep learning applications at LANL
• Recently served on the Department of the Interior's Landsat Advisory Group

Steve Brumby's work combines cutting-edge technology with environmental conservation, positioning him as a leader in using AI for sustainability and climate-related challenges.1