Posted in economics, innovation | Leave a Comment on The Impact of Socio-Economic Challenges and Technological Progress on Economic Inequality: An Estimation with the Perelman Model and Ricci Flow Methods
Keywords: technological advances, economical inequality, GinI coefficient, Ricci flow, Perelman models, technological innovations, research and development, innovations, sensitive analyze, automatization, economic stability, socio-economic challenges.
JEL Classification: E22, O11, O32.
Cite as: Gondauri, D. (2024). SocioEconomic Challenges, 8, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.61093/sec.8.161-175.2024.
Access to freshwater is changing rapidly, with water stress affecting billions of people and countless businesses each year. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent and severe, water pollution continues to rise and, without urgent action, we will soon reach a tipping point. This report outlines key pathways to strengthen water resilience, through private sector and multi-stakeholder action, and secure the future of water for society and the global economy.
Every industry depends on water. This makes water resilience not just an environmental concern, but a cornerstone of economic stability, business continuity and prosperity. Rising demand, driven by population growth, shifting consumption and the energy transition, is further straining resources. With an economic value estimated at $58 trillion, water’s critical importance and the scale of the challenge cannot be overstated.
No company or government can build water resilience alone. The World Economic Forum’s Water Futures Community brings together public and private sector sectors leaders to accelerate investment and action. In collaboration with McKinsey & Company, this report offers a systems approach for our community of partners to strengthen water resilience and highlights opportunities for collective action to accelerate solutions at scale.
In addition to continued fallout from policy upheaval in the US, global growth was projected to soften, fiscal policy in Germany was set for an overhaul, and uncertainty reached record levels.
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to create societal transformations. Indeed, AI is already emerging as a factor in geopolitics, with malicious non-state actors exploiting its capabilities to spread misinformation and potentially develop autonomous weapons. To be sure, not all countries are equal in AI, and bridging the “AI divide” between the Global North and South is vital to ensuring equal representation while addressing regulatory concerns and the equitable distribution of benefits that can be derived from the technology.
Most G20 members have established comprehensive national AI strategies, notably technology giants like the United States, United Kingdom, China, and countries of the European Union. Global South nations such as Brazil, Argentina, and India, despite economic constraints, are demonstrating progress in leveraging AI in areas like social services and agriculture. Future strategies must anticipate emerging threats like Generative AI (GenAI) and Quantum AI, prioritising responsible governance to mitigate biases, inequalities, and cybersecurity risks.
Explore the role of green and transition finance in achieving net-zero targets, decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, and driving climate investments for a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
Posted in biotech/medical, economics | Leave a Comment on Autocracies win the minds of the democratic public: how Japanese citizens are persuaded by illiberal narratives propagated by authoritarian regimes
Against the backdrop of global democratic backsliding and the rise of authoritarianism, Footnote 1 the nature of authoritarian propaganda and public diplomacy has undergone significant changes. In particular, the transformation of the information environment brought about by the global proliferation of social media has created new avenues for authoritarian states to exert influence over democratic publics. Footnote 2 Notable examples include Russia’s intervention in the 2016 U.S. presidential election Footnote 3 and the dissemination of disinformation regarding COVID-19 by Chinese diplomats. Footnote 4 These actions are referred to as “sharp power,” defined as attempts to “pierce, penetrate, or perforate the information environments in the targeted countries” Footnote 5 with the aim of altering public opinion in democratic countries to favour authoritarian regimes. Footnote 6 Unlike soft power, which appeals to cultural and value-based attractions, sharp power operates as a means to destabilize target countries, weaken their commitment to democracy, and enhance the perceived superiority of authoritarian systems using disinformation and economic incentives. Footnote 7
At the core of sharp power lies the narrative, which is a story-based message that appeals to emotions and values, Footnote 8 and by sustaining attention and fostering emotional resonance, narratives often influence audience behaviour more than objective statistical facts or logical arguments. Footnote 9 Given their persuasive power and emotional impact, narratives are a potent tool for shaping people’s attitudes and behaviours. Political actors leverage narratives not only to strengthen their own position but also to undermine the arguments of opposing forces. Footnote 10 In particular, authoritarian governments use favourable narratives both domestically and internationally to reinforce the legitimacy of their regimes and to emphasise the superiority of authoritarian systems over democratic systems, thereby contributing to a global power shift.
Coal ash in the U.S. holds substantial rare earth elements, potentially reducing dependence on imports, with ongoing research and pilot projects working to make extraction economically viable.
Coal ash, the powdery residue left after burning coal for fuel, has accumulated across the United States for decades. New research from the University of Texas at Austin reveals that this vast supply contains enough rare earth elements to significantly strengthen the nation’s reserves without the need for additional mining.
“This really exemplifies the ‘trash to treasure’ mantra,” said co-lead author Bridget Scanlon, a research professor at UT’s Bureau of Economic Geology at the Jackson School of Geosciences. “We’re basically trying to close the cycle and use waste and recover resources in the waste, while at the same time reducing environmental impacts.”
The European Commission is raising $20 billion to construct four “AI gigafactories” as part of Europe’s strategy to catch up with the U.S. and China on artificial intelligence, but some industry experts question whether it makes sense to build them.
The plan for the large public access data centers, unveiled by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month, will face challenges ranging from obtaining chips to finding suitable sites and electricity.
“Even if we would build such a big computing factory in Europe, and even if we would train a model on that infrastructure, once it’s ready, what do we do with it?” said Bertin Martens, of economic think tank Bruegel. It’s a chicken and egg problem. The hope is that new local firms such as France’s Nvidia-backed Mistral startup will grow and use them to create AI models that operate in line with EU AI safety and data protection rules, which are stricter than those in the U.S. or China.
In this episode, Peter answers the hardest questions about AI, Longevity, and our future at an event in El Salvador (Padres y Hijos).
Recorded on February 2025
Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice.
Chapters.
00:00 — Navigating Confusion in Leadership and Purpose.
02:00 — The Evolution of Work and Purpose.
03:50 — AI’s Role in Information Credibility.
07:17 — Sustainability and Technology’s Impact on Nature.
09:26 — Building a Future with AI and Longevity.
11:40 — The Economics of Longevity and Accessibility.
15:15 — Reimagining Education for the Future.
19:23 — Overcoming Human Obstacles to Progress.
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With the anniversary of the first lockdown approaching, inflation and market volatility are now facts of financial life.
