---
title: "Big in scale, tractable, unfairly neglected"
description: "Effective altruism's test for picking the highest-priority problems"
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/empire-of-ai/big-in-scale-tractable-unfairly-neglected/
updated: 2026-11-03
---

# Big in scale, tractable, unfairly neglected

> Effective altruism's test for picking the highest-priority problems

Karen Hao's framework, from Empire of AI, pp. 354 to 433.

Framework 3 of 7 from [Empire of AI](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/empire-of-ai/index.md) by Karen Hao. Category: Money and finance.

## The steps

1. **Big in scale.** Pick problems whose solution would have large expected value
2. **Tractable.** Pick problems that can be fixed for proportionally little time or money
3. **Unfairly neglected.** Pick problems suffering severe, disproportionate underinvestment

## Where it comes from

From chapter: Part IV, pp. 354–433

## The animation

24 seconds, 4:5, no sound.

- MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/empire-of-ai/big-in-scale-tractable-unfairly-neglected.mp4
- MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/empire-of-ai/big-in-scale-tractable-unfairly-neglected-dark.mp4
- Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/empire-of-ai/big-in-scale-tractable-unfairly-neglected.png
- Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/empire-of-ai/big-in-scale-tractable-unfairly-neglected-dark.png