A new World View article in Nature Sustainability by Dr. Bassel Daher, Assistant Director for Sustainable Development at the Texas A&M Energy Institute, argues that solving today’s intertwined sustainability challenges demands more than bigger models and more data. It requires mastering “simplexity,” the art and science of translating complexity into actionable insight without losing nuance.
Daher warns that rapid advances in artificial intelligence, computing power, and real-time sensing now generate massive streams of real time data on complex, interconnected systems, yet this very power creates a paradox: the more we measure and model, the harder it may become to separate signal from noise, slowing decisions and stalling the urgent action sustainability requires.
He frames the challenge through three critical questions that scientists and policymakers must grapple with in an increasingly AI-driven world:
- Who decides what defines sustainability and its metrics?
- How do we distinguish signal from noise in an era of big data and AI?
- How can we ensure that the signal is actionable?
Daher argues that answering these questions requires embracing simplexity: an approach that moves beyond understanding complexity to making it actionable. It calls for empathy with those most impacted, co-framing critical questions with diverse stakeholders, and co-producing knowledge that integrates lived realities with scientific expertise. It also demands tools and insights tailored to real-world decisions, transparency about uncertainty and limits, and a commitment to clear, adaptive communication that turns systemic understanding into meaningful change.
You can find the full article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01650-5.epdf
Dr. Bassel Daher is the Assistant Director for Sustainable Development at Texas A&M Energy Institute, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Biological & Agricultural Engineering, and Research Fellow at the Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Texas A&M University. Daher also serves as Senior Fellow at the Microsoft AI Economy Institute and Executive Board Member of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA). With over 13 years of experience, Dr. Daher focuses on systems approaches to address the complex and interconnected global challenges of food system transformation, energy transition, integrated water management, disaster risk reduction, planetary health, and climate action. His work promotes evidence-based, collective action among cross-sectoral stakeholders to advance sustainable, equitable, and resource-secure futures.