Unsolved: Society and Economics¶
| Problem | Status | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| End extreme poverty | Active progress | Very hard |
| Quality education for all | Active progress | Hard |
| Affordable healthcare for all | Active progress | Very hard |
| Affordable housing | Early research | Hard |
| Reduce inequality | Early research | Very hard |
| Reduce corruption | Early research | Very hard |
| Food security for all | Active progress | Hard |
| Adapt to aging populations | Early research | Hard |
| Better disaster response | Active progress | Medium |
| Get everyone online | Active progress | Medium |
End extreme poverty¶
Status: Active progress · Difficulty: Very hard · grand challenge #14
Extreme poverty sits underneath hunger, preventable disease and wasted potential, at a massive scale.
Current approaches: the share of people in extreme poverty fell from about 40% in 1980 to under 10% today, which is one of history's great underreported wins. The tools are economic growth, direct cash transfers, which turn out to work very well, mobile banking, and targeted global health programs.
Why it's still open: what remains is concentrated in conflict zones and fragile states, where growth and aid are hardest to deliver, and climate change threatens to undo progress.
Timeline: near-elimination is achievable by around 2050 if conflict and climate do not reverse it.
Related: food security, quality education.
Quality education for all¶
Status: Active progress · Difficulty: Hard
Education is the highest-leverage investment in human potential, and it compounds across generations.
Current approaches: free online learning like Khan Academy and open courseware, AI tutors that adapt to each student, cheap devices, and mobile-first content for places without classrooms.
Why it's still open: access is necessary but not enough. Quality, good teachers and motivation matter more than just having material available, and connectivity gaps remain.
Latest: AI tutors from 2023 onward look promising as personal, always-available teachers, which could be a real step-change for underserved students.
Affordable housing¶
Status: Early research · Difficulty: Hard
Housing is the biggest cost in most people's lives, and when it gets unaffordable it drives inequality, homelessness and falling birth rates.
Current approaches: modular and 3D-printed homes, zoning reform to allow more density, and mass timber for faster, cheaper mid-rise buildings.
Why it's still open: it is as much political as technical, since land use and regulation drive a lot of it, and construction productivity has barely improved in 50 years.