World Solve

Many critical systems, including in banking and government, still run on decades-old code that few current developers understand, and automated modernization tools remain unreliable for anything but simple cases. This leaves critical infrastructure dependent on shrinking expertise.

Consumer wearables can track things like heart rate and sleep, but their accuracy still falls short of clinical medical equipment for many important health metrics. Closing this accuracy gap remains an ongoing hardware and software challenge.

Many popular games include purchasable randomized rewards that closely resemble gambling mechanics, and current age protections and regulations remain inconsistent across different countries and platforms. Protecting younger players from this remains an unresolved policy and design challenge.

Many websites and applications are still built without full consideration for users who rely on screen readers, alternative input devices, or other accessibility tools. Making accessibility a foundational design principle rather than a later patch remains inconsistent.

App permission systems exist, but many apps still collect more data than users realize or intend to allow, often through complex, hard-to-navigate settings. True granular control over personal data remains inconsistently implemented across platforms.

Many blockchain networks still struggle with slow transaction speeds and high fees during periods of heavy use, limiting their practicality for small, everyday purchases. Scaling solutions exist but haven't fully solved this tradeoff yet.

Many data centers rely on significant volumes of water to keep servers cool, straining local water supplies especially in drought-prone regions. Alternative cooling methods that don't compete with community water needs remain underdeveloped at scale.

Fake or substandard electronic parts sometimes slip into supply chains for critical equipment, including medical devices and vehicles, and current detection methods are neither fast nor cheap enough to catch every case. This creates hidden safety risks across many industries.

Many users experience nausea, eye strain, or disorientation after even moderate use of virtual reality headsets, a problem that hasn't been fully solved despite years of hardware improvements. This limits how widely VR can be adopted for work or daily use.

Many smart home and industrial devices ship with weak security because manufacturers prioritize low cost over protection, creating easy targets for hackers. Fixing this at scale requires an industry-wide shift that hasn't happened yet.

Robots can now handle many industrial tasks well, but tasks requiring soft, adaptable touch, like handling fabric or fragile objects, remain surprisingly difficult. Closing this dexterity gap would open robotics to far more everyday uses.

Zero-day flaws are unknown weaknesses in software that attackers can exploit before a fix exists, and current detection methods still miss many of them until after damage is done. Finding these flaws proactively remains one of cybersecurity's hardest problems.

By 2040, many patients will have multiple chronic conditions with overlapping treatments and risks. Care orchestration tools and polypharmacy-optimisation systems are needed.

Datasets from many nations and disciplines remain siloed, hampering synthesis and reuse. Interoperable data platforms and FAIR-data policies can improve integration.

Citizens feel democracy is not delivering security or prosperity, driving support for radical solutions and coups. Civic-engagement platforms and institutional-performance dashboards can rebuild trust.

Statistical offices face capacity and resource constraints, leading to gaps in key indicators. Open-data and survey-modernisation platforms can improve information.

Small producers lack access to technology, credit, and knowledge, limiting yields and incomes. Agri-tech advisory and microfinance platforms can boost productivity.

Many young people are not in employment, education, or training, increasing social risks. Youth-skills and apprenticeship-matching platforms can improve transitions.

Citizens navigate multiple portals and in-person visits for basic services. One-stop e-government platforms and identity systems can improve experiences.

Major urban centres like Berlin, Paris, and Barcelona face rent and home price surges that outpace incomes. Policy-simulation platforms and modular construction ventures could inform and implement solutions.