Universal Asset Building: New Social Policy for a New Era

This Perspective explores the concept of universal asset building, beginning with Child Development Account policy, as a new paradigm in social policy, suggesting that it will be a positive social-policy strategy for navigating the information age, and especially artificial intelligence (AI). Universal asset building can address social and economic challenges posed by rapid technological advancements.

The Perspective is adapted from a keynote address given by Michael Sherraden (with Jin Huang and Li Zou) at the joint convening of the 2024 Annual Academic Conference for the Social Policy Research Committee of the Chinese Sociological Association and the 19th International Symposium on Social Policy. The convening was held in Shanghai at Fudan University, December 7–8, 2024.