What are the hardest problems in tech we should be more focused on as a society?

Technology is all about solving big thorny problems. Yet one of the hardest things about solving hard problems is knowing where to focus our efforts. There are so many urgent issues facing the world. Where should we even begin? So we asked dozens of people to identify what problem at the intersection of technology and society that they think we should focus more of our energy on. We queried scientists, journalists, politicians, entrepreneurs, activists, and CEOs.

Some broad themes emerged: the climate crisis, global health, creating a just and equitable society, and AI all came up frequently. There were plenty of outliers, too, ranging from regulating social media to fighting corruption.

Reporting: MIT Technology Review Staff
Editing: Allison Arieff, Rachel Courtland, Mat Honan, Amy Nordrum
Copy editing: Linda Lowenthal
Fact checking: Matt Mahoney
Art direction: Stephanie Arnett