The Hero Awards, in collaboration with Afghan Women Rising, is spearheading an initiative to build the world's largest 'solution engine' for the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Announced during the Geneva plenary session, the project aims to transform each of the 169 targets under the larger goals into actionable prompts for artificial intelligence. Starting with AI models from OpenAI's GPTs, Gemini's Gems, and Claude Artifacts, the initiative will evolve into full-fledged AI assistants capable of continuous self-updates and dynamic workflows to achieve progress toward the Goals.
Central to this effort are members of Afghan Women Rising—young women in Afghanistan who are denied formal education due to the Taliban-led government's ban on schooling for girls. These women design and refine the AI prompts online, followed by in-person discussions to incorporate human insights. 'Having these girls design the prompts allows them to sidestep the ban against schooling,' said Program Director Amy Chang. 'They gain valuable experience building projects that contribute to sustainability both in and outside their country, preparing themselves for a future where their talents will be vital for Afghanistan's recovery.'
The protocols developed by the girls are inspired by the writings of J. Kutcher, who uses garden plant growth as a metaphor for the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual development of young women. Once a protocol is completed, its creator becomes eligible for a Hero Award, provided the protocol suggests novel strategies for advancing the UN targets. Successful efforts are highlighted on the Hero Awards website and in press releases.
Since the program's launch six months ago, interest has expanded beyond Afghanistan. Organizations from the Global South have requested participation, including the PARI People's Archive of Rural India, which supports underserved populations in rural India; Siku.org, a nonprofit serving First Nations in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland; Cybersmartafrica.org, a group of thousands of teachers and students in Senegal preserving local cultures and improving digital literacy; Terrastories, an open-source application for South American and Amazonian indigenous communities to map and share oral histories; and Winyama, an Australian indigenous group using cultural mapping to document Dreamtime stories and historical land use. These groups will be integrated into future iterations of the project.
June's Hero Award winners include Tara Jensen, Maria Ortiz, Herman Matsui, and Wilhelmina Searles. For more information, visit the Hero Awards Substack or follow updates on Reddit. The full list of UN Goals and Targets is available at sdgs.un.org/goals.
