How to make the largest impact to the future of technology, according to Bill Gates
On Monday, in a series of fourteen tweets, Bill Gates delivered advice that has disrupted both Amazon book sales and Millennial ambition. The business magnate and philanthropist, who dropped out of Harvard after two years, articulated that he wished he had known certain facts about global potential during his time at the university.
According to Gates, the careers with the greatest potential for today are artificial intelligence, energy, and biosciences. If he was starting his career today, he stated, this is where he would focus his ambition. With these STEM fields in mind, it is plain to see that these areas pertain to Gates’ philanthropic mindset. These fields cause the largest aptitude for change in the world’s greatest inequities. In fact, Gates’ lack of knowledge on global inequity remains one of his deepest regrets.
Gates has full confidence in recent graduates, whom he states have far more knowledge on the subject of global inequity than he did at their age. “You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner” he stated.
Additionally, Gates called upon graduates to take action with whom they choose to create relationships with. You should choose to be with those who “challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self.” Gates citied his wife, Melinda, as an example of someone who has always encouraged him to be the best version of himself. This distinction of association encourages the highest likelihood of success during the present, which Gates refers to as “the most peaceful time in history.”
Citing Steven Pinker’s 2012 exploration of human behavior, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Gates stated that he would give all recent graduates this book as a present if he could. Gates also called the non-fiction work “the most inspiring book I’ve ever read.” Consequentially, in the days that have followed, the book has lingered in the top five of Amazon’s best sellers list.
Pinker’s book argues that the world is becoming a more peaceful one as history marches on. This view stabilizes and justifies Gates’ determination to solve the world’s most pressing problems. By becoming the future of technology, graduates have the surest chance to spread progress to global inequities. Thus, reshaping the aptitude of all individuals around the world.
“This is an amazing time to be alive.” Gates concluded, “I hope you make the most of it.”
