The 2025 Problem

How can AI help people better access the information, resources, or services they need most?

Background

The digital divide — especially in rural, aging, and underserved communities — has become a silent crisis. From AI-driven healthcare inequality to resource deserts in education, technology has outpaced accessibility.

With the rise of LLMs, voice interfaces, and AI-based assistants, this challenge asks: how can we make access to information more human, more equitable, and more effective?

Why This Problem?

  • 📢 Growing concerns about misinformation and AI's role in amplifying it
  • 🏥 Difficulty accessing trusted health info in many languages
  • 🎓 Educational AI tools missing the people who need them most
  • 🌐 Current AI infrastructure favors those already online and fluent
Download Full Problem Statement

Example Solution Areas

🧠 Voice-first Interfaces

An AI phone line that answers health or financial questions for elderly users without internet access.

📚 Multilingual Support Bots

A chatbot that helps immigrants find legal or housing assistance in their native language.

🏫 School Resource Finder

A tool that recommends free, local educational resources to families based on their needs and location.

Evaluation Criteria & Submissions

Each solution will be scored by a randomly assigned panel of 3 out of our 12 judges. Judges rate each criterion on a scale from 1 to 5, including confidence in their score. Half points are allowed. Final scores are normalized across all entries to ensure fairness — the average score will always be scaled to 10.

  • Impact & Relevance (25%) — Are you solving a real and important problem for real people? This is not about how many people you reached, but whether your solution addresses a meaningful need.
  • User-Centered Design (25%) — Have you actively engaged with your target user(s) during the process? Did feedback or lived experience meaningfully shape your solution?
  • Innovation (25%) — Is your approach creative, technically novel, or well-tailored to your community? Are you applying existing tools in a new or unexpected way?
  • Feasibility (15%) — Can your solution realistically be implemented? If not, have you clearly identified the blockers and next steps?
  • Clarity & Communication (10%) — Is your submission clearly explained and well-documented? Can a non-technical audience understand your impact and approach?
Required Deliverables
  • October 1, 2025 – A 2-minute intro video introducing your team and the community you’re working with (lighthearted and informal).
  • November 3, 2025 – A short proposal explaining your problem, approach, and planned impact. (Not scored)
  • December 15, 2025 – One of the following:
    • A 4+ page report (see required structure in full statement), or
    • A 3+ minute video clearly explaining your solution and showing its application or community feedback.
  • You must also submit a prototype or working version of your solution. This could be code, an app mockup, demo site, etc. Just show us what you built.
  • Include your completed Impact Sheet summarizing your engagement, users, and testing (template provided).

Proposal, intro video format, and final submission templates will be sent once your chapter is approved or can be requested by emailing kiran@theaiequityproject.org.

Enter the Competition