World Solve

Most democratic input happens only at the ballot box, leaving years between elections where citizens have little formal say in major decisions. Better tools for ongoing public input could make governance more responsive.

Many large-scale policies are implemented based on assumptions rather than solid evidence, and by the time results come in, the damage or waste is already done. Better testing methods could save enormous public resources.

Anti-corruption agencies themselves can become corrupted, and oversight bodies often lack real power to enforce accountability. Breaking this cycle requires structural solutions, not just stricter laws on paper.

False information often reaches millions of people before any correction catches up, and by then the damage to public understanding is already done. Fixing this gap is critical to informed public debate.

Doubts about election security, counting errors, and manipulation persist in democracies around the world. Restoring full public trust in voting systems is essential for democracy to function as intended.

Concrete and asphalt trap heat, turning cities into dangerous hot zones during extreme weather, especially for people without air conditioning. Redesigning cities to stay cooler is now a matter of public safety, not comfort.

As AI-generated accounts and bots flood social platforms, telling a real person from an automated one is getting harder. Without a trusted verification method, online trust and public discourse both suffer.

AI can now produce convincing text, images, and video in seconds, and detection tools are struggling to keep up. Without a reliable way to tell real from fake, public trust in what we see online keeps eroding.

Employees in public institutions of India who report corruption face inadequate legal protection, discouraging disclosure of misconduct and undermining accountability mechanisms.

Achieving designs for public spaces that promote social connection and mental well-being in dense cities at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Vocational training programs in Democratic Republic of Congo frequently teach skills misaligned with current employer demand, leaving graduates underemployed despite completing certification.

Informal minibus and paratransit systems in Germany carry the majority of urban commuters but operate without route optimization, safety standards, or integration with formal transit planning.

Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for inclusive digital public infrastructure resistant to both outages and capture are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for protocols for the rapid and ethical evaluation of new medical and public health interventions creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.

Informal settlements in Yemen largely rely on pit latrines with no formal desludging service, leading to overflow into waterways and elevated diarrheal disease rates among children.

Low digital literacy among vulnerable populations in Haiti increases susceptibility to online scams, grooming, and exploitation, with few structured public education programs addressing the gap.

Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for institutional designs that make long-term investments in public health infrastructure politically sustainable are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.

Design systems that remain usable for people with limited literacy, disability, low connectivity, language barriers, or insecure documentation. The challenge is especially acute in remote island communities, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.

Create conservation and restoration approaches that protect biodiversity while sustaining the people whose food, income, and culture depend on those ecosystems. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.

Develop practical data collection, modeling, public deliberation, and evaluation tools for decisions currently made with incomplete or inaccessible evidence. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.