The Hero Awards has introduced a new protocol enabling everyday individuals to develop comprehensive action plans for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals using a sequence of seven artificial intelligence systems. According to the organization, this approach makes meaningful contributions to global challenges accessible to people who can dedicate approximately three hours to the process. Education Director Amy Chang explained that the system was designed for average participants to complete within this timeframe. The workflow operates by moving a single SDG target through a carefully sequenced chain of AI models, with each system building upon and refining the previous one's output.
The current highest-performing sequence includes Meta.ai, Claude Code, Copilot.microsoft.com, Gemini.google.com v.3, Perplexity.ai, Deepseek.com, and ChatGPT (v.5.2). Sustainability Director Savithri Patel stated that this multi-model approach helps ground ideas in practical reality while reducing vulnerabilities to AI hallucinations. The organization frames this integration as helping participants "Be the Singularity," representing the moment when AI begins to outperform human intelligence in specific domains. Patel emphasized that there hasn't been an obvious route for everyday individuals to earn recognition for sustained work on planetary challenges, leading to the creation of this process that blends human judgment with AI.
The system generates multiple outputs including a GPT listed on https://openai.com/gpt-store, an Innovation Engine built with https://notebooklm.google.com, and, beginning in 2026, a collaboration tool based in Microsoft Loop. These components work together to create what the organization describes as "169 robust solution-evolvers" that continue generating new approaches to sustainability challenges over time. Completed solutions are archived on The Hero Awards' https://www.academia.edu page for public review and improvement. Participants who successfully complete the protocol receive recognition across the organization's platforms and gain the unique ability to confer the same honor upon others who follow the same process.
In preliminary testing conducted in 2022, the organization documented significant outcomes from participants. For every 100 completed procedures, 29 participants produced content that gained traction in traditional media, 14 were quoted in academic or professional journals, 7 launched NGOs or non-profits connected to their chosen targets, and 5 founded startups. The largest source of new participants in 2025 came from Substack creators, who were among the first to test the complete system. The organization has found that the workflow develops participants' analytical and creative abilities alongside improving the final deliverables.
Chang emphasized the broader implications of making this technology accessible, describing it as a way to democratize planetary stewardship and human flourishing. She noted that while the process requires work, it involves enjoyable work using familiar AI tools that helps people develop a global mindset making change feel both achievable and personally meaningful. The approach represents an attempt to scale individual contributions to global challenges through structured AI collaboration, potentially transforming how ordinary citizens engage with complex sustainability issues that were previously the domain of specialized experts and institutions.
