Here’s a list of questions that I enjoy reading about and discussing. Some of these subjects I know very little about, so any opinions or suggestions on relevant reading would be appreciated.

Technology

• How can we mitigate bias in predictive models, especially those in fields with material consequences like credit, criminal justice, university admissions, and hiring?

• Is it only a matter of time before software engineering becomes commoditized? Or will the rate of change in the field, potential for scalable impact, and demand for talent outpace the increasing supply of talent? Or does the “arms race” in product/infra development among unicorns and public companies ensure that this will remain a lucrative career path?

• What will unskilled workers do when AI automates their jobs? Is the increased automation of the industrial revolution a good parallel?

Economic

• Is it possible for the stock market to be consistently insulated from financial crisis assuming perfect information, analysis and response from the central bank, government and retail investors (and those of other countries)?

• To what extent do market movements tend towards the “random walk” hypothesis or follow predictable trends?

• What is the effect of immigration on the economy? To what extent are those in the existing work force displaced?

• How do we reconcile protecting domestic jobs vs. outsourcing labor in a global economy?

Social

• Why are people in some countries on average so much happier (self-reported) than those in others?

• What has taken the void left by religion in our increasingly secular society?

• How do we reconcile environmentalism with development since it’s often a direct trade-off?

• How do we bridge the gap in a increasingly divided country?

• Punishments are so much more lenient for white collar crime than for traditional crime. What does a justice system that optimizes for fairness and rehabilitation look like?

TBD