Top career paths
Below you’ll find 20+ guides to the highest impact careers we know of. Any one of them could allow you to make a big contribution to solving the world’s most pressing problems.
In each guide you’ll find pros and cons, what traits would make you a great fit, where to find the best jobs, and how to get started.
How to decide which path you should pursue
Your impact depends on both your path’s potential and your ability to excel in it. Start with a list of high-impact options, then choose based on personal fit.
Get more people working on top AI issues.
Get the most impactful projects funded.
Stop a catastrophic pandemic before it starts.
Who holds office affects everything.
Help impactful organisations 10x.
Bridge technical expertise and policy impact.
Develop techniques to make AI safe.
Get decision-makers to act on AI risk.
Harden systems and prevent model theft.
Skillfully implement policies that bind states and companies.
China is a key player in how AI develops.
Grow the community of people trying to do as much good as they can.
Inform the public on important issues.
Map how AI will transform the world and determine priorities.
Break new ground doing exactly what you think is important.
Protect the world from a resurgence of the oldest existential threat.
Multiply your impact by growing research capacity.
Figure out the policies to address AI issues.
Shape how the world uses chips and compute.
Advise lawmakers on key policy issues.
Convert your talents into funding for impactful projects.
Develop a profile and spread important insights.
Negotiate key interstate relationships.
Improve society’s foresight on important issues.
How to decide which path you should pursue
Your impact depends on both your path’s potential and your ability to excel in it. Start with a list of high-impact options, then choose based on personal fit.
Not seeing something that appeals to you? Keep in mind that each path contains many different options, some of which might not be obvious from the name.
Also, some impactful careers are too niche for us to have profiles on. So if you have a unique skill to offer, you may still want to find a way to apply it.