open
Brazil, South America
AI agents may generate large volumes of apparently independent opinions, proposals, and consultation responses. Governance systems must preserve authentic participation and prevent automated manipulation of democratic processes. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
south-america
brazil
public
decision-making
synthetic
participants
low-income
communities
must
agents
may
generate
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
quantum
If machines and software generate large economic value with fewer workers, existing payroll and income tax structures may weaken. Governments need alternatives that fund public goods without punishing productive investment. The solution must produce useful coordination and accountability while minimizing collection of sensitive personal and behavioral data. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
economics-resources
asia
india
fair
taxation
autonomous
production
mass
surveillance
machines
software
generate
large
technology-computing
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
without
If machines and software generate large economic value with fewer workers, existing payroll and income tax structures may weaken. Governments need alternatives that fund public goods without punishing productive investment. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
economics-resources
fair
taxation
autonomous
production
low-income
communities
machines
software
generate
large
technology-computing
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
quantum
infrastructure
science-space
When local weather can be bought in advance, wealthier areas may secure preferred conditions while poorer ones experience residual or adverse patterns. The challenge is creating equitable allocation mechanisms for atmospheric resources that do not deepen existing social divides or disrupt larger climate systems.
climate
weather
preventing
micro
inequality
climate-environment
Astronomy, cultural practices, wildlife, and human sleep may be affected by large satellite fleets. A workable solution must reconcile connectivity goals with brightness limits, orbital design, and international compliance. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
science-space
satellite
preserving
dark
skies
during
expansion
low-income
communities
solution
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
quantum
infrastructure
safe
open
Mexico, North America
As identity, payments, records, and service portals become central to state capacity, failures will produce large-scale disputes. The unresolved problem is setting up fast, fair, and trusted systems to resolve them. This becomes particularly difficult in informal settlements, because public institutions must remain fair, resilient, and accountable while adapting to new risks.
society-governance
north-america
mexico
state-capacity
institutions
public
informal
settlements
creating
dispute
resolution
digital
infrastructure
fair
systems
technology-computing
governance
Large-scale fermentation may compete with food, land, and water if it depends on agricultural inputs. Future systems need safe, affordable, low-carbon feedstocks that do not shift environmental burdens to poorer regions. The solution must produce useful coordination and accountability while minimizing collection of sensitive personal and behavioral data. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
climate-environment
asia
india
feedstocks
biomanufacturing
non-food
mass
surveillance
large-scale
fermentation
may
compete
food
technology-computing
economics-resources
society-governance
systems
without
Large-scale fermentation may compete with food, land, and water if it depends on agricultural inputs. Future systems need safe, affordable, low-carbon feedstocks that do not shift environmental burdens to poorer regions. The design must remain functional when standards, trade routes, data access, and diplomatic cooperation are unreliable. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
climate-environment
asia
india
feedstocks
biomanufacturing
non-food
under
geopolitical
fragmentation
large-scale
fermentation
may
compete
technology-computing
economics-resources
society-governance
systems
infrastructure
Large-scale fermentation may compete with food, land, and water if it depends on agricultural inputs. Future systems need safe, affordable, low-carbon feedstocks that do not shift environmental burdens to poorer regions. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
climate-environment
feedstocks
biomanufacturing
non-food
low-income
communities
large-scale
fermentation
may
compete
food
technology-computing
economics-resources
society-governance
systems
infrastructure
quantum
safe
Digital consultation can produce large volumes of participation while still failing to influence decisions. The challenge is creating governance processes where consultation changes outcomes and does not become symbolic theater. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
consultation
informal
settlements
making
public
meaningful
scale
digital
produce
large
systems
technology-computing
across
climate-environment
institutions
A seawall, air conditioner, reservoir, or drought-resistant crop can reduce one risk while increasing inequality, heat, debt, ecological damage, or downstream exposure. The challenge is evaluating full-system consequences before large investments are locked in. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
climate-environment
protecting
climate
adaptation
projects
maladaptation
low-income
communities
seawall
air
conditioner
technology-computing
economics-resources
society-governance
systems
quantum
infrastructure
science-space
Large quantum computers may require specialized materials, cooling systems, and high-energy facilities. Their lifecycle impact, component reuse, and end-of-life management are not yet adequately designed. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
technology-computing
asia
japan
reuse
quantum
safe
disposal
cryogenic
hardware
low-income
communities
large
computers
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
infrastructure
Future political manipulation may be conducted by large networks of bots, synthetic personas, and microtargeted propaganda. The challenge is detecting and deterring these campaigns without undermining legitimate civic participation. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
informal
settlements
protecting
local
democracy
automated
influence
operations
future
political
systems
public
technology-computing
across
climate-environment
climate
without
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
Unpaid domestic and care work performed predominantly by women in Papua New Guinea is largely excluded from national economic statistics and social protection policy, undervaluing its contribution.
society-governance
oceania
papua-new-guinea
unpaid
care
work
national
policy
papua
new
guinea
supporting
recognition
economics-resources
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Networks of AI-assisted fake dating profiles can be deployed at scale to build trust with vulnerable users before extracting money or personal information. Detecting these coordinated networks before real harm occurs remains an unresolved platform challenge.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
networks
fake
dating
vulnerable
users
haven
solved
prevent
large-scale
automated
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Attackers can automatically test massive numbers of previously leaked username and password combinations across many websites to find accounts where the same credentials still work. Reducing the effectiveness of this widespread technique remains an unresolved security challenge.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
leaked
password
haven
found
way
prevent
large-scale
automated
account
takeover
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Coordinated groups, sometimes aided by bots, can flood a business or creator with negative reviews for reasons unrelated to actual quality, and platforms struggle to distinguish this from genuine customer dissatisfaction at scale. Fair, reliable detection of this manipulation remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
haven
found
way
prevent
large-scale
automated
review-bombing
campaigns
unfairly
damaging
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Aggressive scraping bots, including those collecting data to train AI models, can overload smaller websites not built to handle that volume of automated traffic. Balancing open web access with protection against this kind of strain remains unresolved.
local-regional
global-unspecified
automated
web
scraping
smaller
websites
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Automated bots can purchase limited-availability products, from sneakers to concert tickets, within seconds, leaving genuine customers with little realistic chance to buy at retail prices. Effective, consistent bot prevention remains an unresolved e-commerce challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
automated
bot
customers
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
large-scale
purchases
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Attackers can still forge email headers to make messages appear to come from trusted banks, companies, or government agencies, despite improved authentication protocols. Full adoption and enforcement of stronger email verification standards remains inconsistent.
society-governance
global-unspecified
email
trusted
haven
solved
prevent
large-scale
spoofing
attacks
impersonate
organizations
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
technology-computing