Headlines are dominated by the oncoming AI apocalypse. The 21st century, far from being an age of decay, may prove to be the most creative and constructive period in human history, says Madsen Pirie

We are told that the world is in irreversible decline. Newsfeeds deliver a daily diet of disasters, wars, fires, floods, political turmoil and technological dread. Commentators warn of collapsing ecosystems, runaway artificial intelligence and social disintegration. Fear sells, and pessimism feels intellectually justified.

Yet beneath the noise of crisis, an extraordinary transformation is taking place. The 21st century, far from being an age of decay, may prove to be the most creative and constructive period in human history.

I wrote my latest book, The Optimistic Outlook to restore perspective. It does not deny the gravity of the world’s problems. Global warming, poverty, and the misuse of power remain urgent challenges. But it argues that despair is neither accurate nor useful. Across energy, medicine, biology, agriculture and environmental restoration, evidence points to accelerating improvement, progress not driven by wishful thinking, but by science, ingenuity, and collaboration on a scale unmatched in the past.

Pessimism thrives on short-term memory. It forgets how much progress has already been achieved. A century ago, most people lived without electricity, antibiotics or reliable food supply. Half of all children died before adulthood. Global literacy was below 20 per cent. Today, extreme poverty has fallen to historic lows, child mortality has plunged by more than two-thirds, and access to education, medicine,........

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