Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Researchers have shown that inaudible or disguised audio signals can sometimes trigger voice assistants to take unintended actions without the user's knowledge. Fully closing this security gap remains unresolved.
health-biology
global-unspecified
have
voice
assistants
audio
don
reliable
way
prevent
being
manipulated
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Humans can learn a new task from a handful of examples, while most AI systems still need massive amounts of training data to perform reliably. Closing this efficiency gap remains one of AI research's central unsolved challenges.
society-governance
global-unspecified
systems
new
humans
examples
build
generalize
skills
way
just
few
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
AI models often can't accurately tell when a question falls outside what they actually know, leading them to guess confidently rather than admit uncertainty. Teaching AI to recognize its own limits remains an unresolved research problem.
society-governance
global-unspecified
know
limits
own
build
systems
reliably
knowledge
models
often
accurately
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
AI systems can generate false information with the same fluent, confident tone as accurate information, making it hard for users to tell the difference without independently verifying every claim. Reducing this so-called hallucination problem remains a central AI research challenge.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
false
yet
reliably
detect
chatbot
confidently
stating
something
completely
information
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
systems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Most software vulnerabilities trace back to common coding mistakes that better language design could prevent from the start. Despite decades of research, mainstream programming still makes these mistakes easy to make.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
programming
make
don
have
languages
writing
secure
bug-free
code
default
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Access to anti-ageing interventions could be skewed toward wealthy groups without deliberate policy. Equity-oriented regulation and public programmes will be required.
society-governance
global-unspecified
human
longevity
research
may
widen
socio-economic
divides
lifespan
access
anti-ageing
protocols
philosophy-ethics
will
ethical
health-biology
development
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Human presence and warming conditions may introduce new diseases to previously isolated species and communities. Robust biosecurity protocols, surveillance tools, and response plans are required.
health-biology
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
biosecurity
emerging
pathogens
risks
threaten
antarctic
wildlife
research
stations
human
society-governance
protocols
surveillance
ethical
conduct
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Supply chains for fuel, food, and equipment depend on limited routes and budgets, constraining long-term research. Optimisation tools and shared logistics platforms could improve resilience.
economics-resources
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
supply-chain
logistical
support
antarctic
science
vulnerable
cost
weather
geopolitical
shocks
supply
global-unspecified
climate-environment
african
systems
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Research, tourism, and fishing generate emissions and local effects that are not fully tracked or integrated into global accounting. Standardised carbon-footprint and mitigation-planning tools are needed.
climate-environment
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
cumulative
climate
impact
activities
under-measured
research
tourism
fishing
generate
society-governance
global-unspecified
mathematics-logic
monitoring
synthetic
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Research, tourism, and fishing generate emissions and local effects that are not fully tracked or integrated into global accounting. Standardised carbon-footprint and mitigation-planning tools are needed.
climate-environment
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
cumulative
climate
impact
activities
under-measured
variant
focuses
data
monitoring
global-unspecified
society-governance
african
europe
systems
technology-computing
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Access to field programmes is often restricted to well-funded institutions from certain countries. Virtual research infrastructures and inclusive collaboration models could broaden participation.
society-governance
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
research
participation
remote
harsh
conditions
limit
inclusivity
diversity
antarctic
access
global-unspecified
mathematics-logic
systems
philosophy-ethics
whether
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Datasets from many nations and disciplines remain siloed, hampering synthesis and reuse. Interoperable data platforms and FAIR-data policies can improve integration.
technology-computing
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
data
digital
infrastructure
storing
sharing
antarctic
research
fragmented
datasets
nations
society-governance
systems
global-unspecified
african
economics-resources
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Sector-by-sector rules may miss combined pressures. Integrated cumulative-impact planning platforms could improve governance.
society-governance
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
lack
robust
frameworks
manage
cumulative
fishing
tourism
research
impacts
over
governance
systems
global-unspecified
technology-computing
urban
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Researchers keep finding creative ways to bypass safety filters built into AI systems, and defenses often lag behind the newest bypass techniques. This cat-and-mouse dynamic remains unresolved despite constant patching.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fully
prevent
models
being
tricked
generating
harmful
content
clever
prompting
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
mathematics-logic
resolved
haven
open
Europe / Unspecified, Europe
Europe produces strong scientific research but struggles to grow globally dominant tech firms due to fragmented markets and risk-averse capital. Cross-border venture networks and translational research platforms can bridge the gap.
economics-resources
europe
europe-unspecified
tech
innovation
ecosystems
lag
frontrunners
scaling
deep
variant
data
african
society-governance
global-unspecified
technology-computing
infrastructure
research
open
Europe / Unspecified, Europe
Academics are urged to create impact but navigate complex IP and funding landscapes. University-industry matchmaking platforms and impact-oriented grant tools could help.
society-governance
europe
europe-unspecified
university
research
faces
pressure
commercialise
clear
pathways
academics
urged
global-unspecified
african
africa
technology-computing
remains
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Existing tests focus on known-answer questions rather than open research tasks. Benchmarks that evaluate models on genuine research subtasks can guide development.
society-governance
global-unspecified
benchmarks
lack
robust
systems
performing
frontier
scientific
reasoning
research
existing
economics-resources
climate-environment
governance
technology-computing
ensuring
models
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Engineering constraints and ethical questions hinder development. Research into autonomous systems and governance frameworks could move concepts forward.
society-governance
global-unspecified
self-replicating
robotic
probes
galactic
exploration
remain
theoretical
engineering
constraints
ethical
systems
governance
solutions
economics-resources
ensuring
frameworks
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Most nations invest little in research, limiting innovation. Regional funding mechanisms and collaboration can boost capacity.
local-regional
global-unspecified
spending
highly
concentrated
few
countries
nations
invest
little
research
limiting
society-governance
remains
african
africa
mechanisms
asia
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Mining plans advance without full understanding. Baseline research is essential.
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
deep-sea
ecosystems
limited
mining
plans
advance
full
understanding
baseline
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
african
mathematics-logic