Most of average person's life struggles are not a result of lack of breakthroughs in science or mathematics. Similarly, most of problems with modern digital services or products are also not caused by lack of breakthroughs in engineering or technology.

We already know solutions to many current problems, and we knew them before AI - but those solutions are not being applied by people who are in charge. AI won't change those peoples' incentives.

Almost all of the improvements in standard of living over the past 400 years have come from scientific breakthroughs. Newton's laws probably seemed like an abstract mathematical puzzle at the time, but we wouldn't have steam turbines or skyscrapers or modern transportation without them. There are similar stories for advances in agriculture, medicine, energy distribution, communications, and the list goes on.

Most jobs that people do today in advanced economies wouldn't exist without science and technology. It's bewildering that this needs to be explained on HN of all places.