The Economist

How AI can make health care better

Elaine Manor, Dr Keane, Dr Kira Oberne, Patricia Walker, Dr Blackman, Tom Standage

Driven by a critical global shortage of medical specialists and surging vision impairment rates, this event explores how artificial intelligence accelerates diagnostics while simultaneously confronting significant data privacy controversies and algorithmic "black box" risks. Speakers including Dr. Keane, Dr. Kira Oberne, and researchers from the University of Leeds detail innovative solutions such as privacy-preserving switchboard architectures, clinician-developed biomarkers, and ultra-efficient virtual trials that reduce testing costs by over 99% compared to traditional methods. The discussion projects a transition toward AI 2.0 systems that integrate deep physiological knowledge to fundamentally reshape healthcare delivery, promising an eightfold market growth by 2027 if developers and clinicians can successfully navigate emerging accountability frameworks.

How to make computers less biased

Pa Manjang, Parr, Rochelle Farool, Meredith Broussard, Thomas Adams, Tamara Gilkes-Boer

Uber driver Pa Manjang is suing the company for algorithmic dismissal after an automated facial verification system permanently deactivated his account, sparking broader allegations of racial bias in tech infrastructure. This legal action highlights systemic issues where biased training data and lack of diverse testing have led to discriminatory outcomes in sectors ranging from mortgage lending to medical diagnostics. In response, regulators like the European Union are proposing stricter AI oversight frameworks while industry innovators develop tools to detect embedded bias before algorithms impact fundamental rights.

Why is Russia invading Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin

Russia is conducting its largest military buildup in Europe since the Cold War along the Ukrainian border to deter Ukraine from joining NATO and to counter what Vladimir Putin views as a strategic threat to his regime. The conflict, rooted in historical claims of shared statehood and recent geopolitical shifts, has already resulted in 14,000 deaths and entrenched Western opposition against any further forced territorial changes. This ongoing aggression serves as a strategy for Putin to bolster domestic legitimacy and prevent Western democratic influences from sparking similar unrest within Russia.

What are NFTs?

Alice Fulwood, Kevin, Anil Dash, Keshe, Colleen, Quentin Tarantino

Driven by pandemic-era speculation and institutional adoption, the NFT market surged to over $24 billion in 2021, legitimizing digital ownership through major sales by entities like *The Economist* and Sotheby's. While the technology provides immutable proof of provenance for assets ranging from viral tweets to virtual real estate, the sector faces significant criticism regarding intellectual property conflicts, extreme volatility, and environmental costs. Proponents argue this paradigm shift will underpin a broader digital economy by enabling verifiable credentials and tokenized real-world assets, despite current concerns over its sustainability as a purely speculative asset class.

Keeping warm, without warming the planet

Mkwenna, Angela, Max Fordham, Bill Watt, Jon Fassman

Addressing the critical need to triple global heat pump adoption to curb rising carbon emissions, experts are examining divergent national strategies where South Africa's grid instability drives private off-grid solar adoption while the UK navigates high installation costs and insulation deficits for its gas-dependent heating sector. Alongside these immediate efforts, a pilot project in Northern England tests hydrogen infrastructure to eliminate direct emissions, though scalability remains contingent on transitioning from fossil-fuel production to green hydrogen generated by surplus renewable energy. Ultimately, industry leaders and government officials agree that achieving a critical tipping point in the energy transition requires mandatory fossil fuel heating bans supported by state-led insulation programs and substantial infrastructure investment.

Will you be eating insects soon?

Jon Fasman

Facing a global population surge toward 10 billion, companies like Madagascar's Valala Farms and Canada's Aspire are scaling cricket protein production to provide a sustainable, high-efficiency alternative to traditional livestock. Driven by significant environmental benefits, such as reduced land use and carbon emissions, and supported by regulatory approvals in the EU and US markets, these initiatives aim to transform insect farming into a self-optimizing industry capable of meeting massive commercial demand.

China and Russia: MI6’s top concerns

Richard Moore, shashank joshi

MI6 Chief Richard Moore signaled a strategic realignment for the intelligence service by publicly prioritizing the challenge of China's rise, particularly its access to global data streams which threatens UK sovereignty and artificial intelligence development. Distinguishing this systemic digital threat from traditional Russian kinetic aggression, Moore outlined a dual-track approach to maintain cooperation on global issues while defending British values against authoritarian influence. Simultaneously, he addressed the Ukraine conflict, asserting that Russia's invasion would incur severe economic costs and that Ukraine is now better positioned to resist than in 2014.

Dead zones: how chemical pollution is suffocating the sea

Denise Breitberg, Ben Dwyer, Peter Thomas, Kate

Global ocean dead zones are expanding rapidly due to nutrient pollution and rising temperatures, causing massive marine mortality and creating a climate feedback loop through nitrous oxide emissions. While the Gulf of Marmara and the Gulf of Mexico face severe ecological and economic crises, Minnesota's adoption of precision farming and conservation incentives has demonstrated that reducing agricultural runoff is both financially viable and environmentally effective. Despite these proven solutions, widespread implementation remains stalled by cultural resistance, prompting the Economist Group to call for urgent government bans on raw sewage and structural reforms to agricultural practices.

What will China do in 2022?

Ed, Zannie

Xi Jinping is positioning himself for a historic third term by centralizing party power through aggressive regulatory crackdowns on the private sector and strict domestic control, which he sustains amidst rising nationalism despite ongoing human rights controversies. This consolidation coincides with a shift toward international assertiveness and a managed geopolitical standoff with the United States, where deep economic interdependence complicates traditional Cold War narratives. As tensions regarding Taiwan remain high with a significant risk of conflict within the next decade, the strategic dilemma for the Biden administration involves balancing firm security guarantees against the potential for destabilizing Asian alliances.

The World Ahead 2022: five stories to watch out for

Major geopolitical and economic trends in 2022 include China's consolidation of power under Xi Jinping amidst US electoral shifts, alongside a global labor realignment driven by divergent preferences for hybrid work models. Simultaneously, technology sectors are racing to monetize the metaverse through massive corporate investments in virtual collaboration and entertainment, while the fashion industry leverages cultural momentum to elevate African designers into global markets. These developments converge with a renewed space race where geopolitical rivals and commercial entities compete to establish infrastructure and dominate tourism, marking a historic transition where civilian travelers outnumber government astronauts.

Green energy: Which sources are the most sustainable?

Vijay Vaitheeswaran

Strategic discussions emphasize that achieving net-zero emissions requires maintaining and expanding nuclear power while addressing political resistance alongside the technical limitations of solar intermittency and high biofuel costs. Global experiments are underway to test hydrogen and multi-season storage solutions to overcome solar distribution losses, while electric vehicles and heat pumps are identified as critical leverage points for decarbonizing transport and buildings. Critics warn that current biofuel subsidies distort food markets, reinforcing the need to prioritize building efficiency and grid decarbonization over agricultural energy production.

Can science help poor kids earn more?

Neuroscience research confirms that long-term child development benefits more from active conversational turns than passive vocabulary exposure, with data-driven "talk pedometer" interventions successfully increasing hourly word counts by 32% to help close the socioeconomic achievement gap. Despite these communication-focused successes, the persistent stagnation of educational disparities has sparked debate over Professor Catherine Page Harden's proposal to integrate genetic analysis into school policy for predicting academic outcomes. While proponents argue that genetic testing could enable targeted interventions to improve social mobility, critics warn of historical eugenics parallels and the ethical risks of reinforcing social hierarchies through genetic determinism.

How vegan burgers can help save the planet

Jon Fasman

Global food production now accounts for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, a trajectory that threatens to exceed climate targets unless current consumption habits shift away from animal agriculture. While plant-based alternatives and emerging cultured meat technologies offer substantial environmental benefits, their widespread adoption is hindered by high costs, limited scalability, and deep-seated consumer resistance to dietary change. Industry experts and researchers argue that bridging this gap requires not only technological innovation but also robust regulatory frameworks to support a just transition for livestock producers.

Why it's harder to earn more than your parents | The Economist

Sophie Pender, Mohsin Ismail, Kavika Smith, Christine, Novelette, Sally Grantham-McGregor, Dawn, Idrees Kahloun

Declining social mobility in the US and UK, driven by rising inequality and educational barriers, has prompted researchers to identify geographic location, early childhood interventions, and state school networks like the "93% Club" as critical levers for reform. Comparative data highlights that while legacy admissions and wealth bias stifle progress in American universities, programs relocating families to high-opportunity areas and reducing SAT reliance have demonstrably increased long-term earnings and tax revenues. These findings suggest that structural changes to education and neighborhood composition offer a fiscally sustainable path to reversing intergenerational income stagnation.

Is it time to go back to the office?

Callum, Vindiru

Post-pandemic tensions between employer mandates and employee demands for remote work have escalated into public conflicts, exemplified by over 1,000 Apple staff signing petitions against a three-day office return. These disagreements are deeply influenced by demographic factors, as Black knowledge workers express a far lower desire for full-time office presence than their white counterparts, raising concerns about retention and diversity. To resolve these disparities and boost efficiency, experts advocate for structured hybrid models that assign deep-focus tasks to remote days and collaborative work to in-office sessions, thereby mitigating unconscious bias in promotion decisions.