Before Superintelligent AI Can Solve Major Challenges, We Need to Define What 'Solved' Means

The original article was published on January 13, 2026 by the World Economic Forum.

As the world stands on the brink of superintelligent AI, You.com Co-Founder and CEO, Richard Socher, in an article for the World Economic Forum, emphasizes a crucial, often overlooked question: what does it truly mean to "solve" a major problem? 

While the promise of AI is immense—potentially offering solutions to challenges from climate change to global health—there is a growing recognition that simply unleashing powerful algorithms is not enough. Richard argues that, before we entrust superintelligent systems with humanity’s biggest issues, we must first reach a consensus on what successful problem-solving actually looks like, both ethically and practically.

He writes, “We need shared frameworks for thinking about objective outcomes, just as we need international protocols for product safety testing. Not only that, we need people who specialize in translating human values and societal goals into precise specifications that AI systems can work with. I call it reward engineering. Whatever the name, it's a discipline and job title that barely exists today.”

Ultimately, the article calls for a shift in focus: from the technical capabilities of AI to the human-centered definitions of success. It underscores the importance of grounding AI development in ethics and truth, with human leadership guiding the purpose and direction of these powerful tools. Only by clarifying what we mean by "solved" can we harness superintelligent AI to deliver real-world solutions that are both effective and aligned with our collective values.