New compass: INVI is ready with a new AI-powered model to tackle society's wild problems

Think tank INVI - The Institute for Wild Problems has developed a new model for tackling society's wild problems. INVI's Wild Problems Model absorbs knowledge from frontline practitioners, distills insights and equips decision makers to tackle society's wild problems.  

Wicked problems refer to those stubborn societal problems that have proven difficult to solve with well-known political reforms and tools. A development that many Danes are now familiar with. 

A recent survey from INVI and Epinion shows that only 14 percent of Danes believe that political decisions are made with an eye to whether they can actually be implemented. For INVI's CEO, this underlines the need for a model that better enables political ambitions to be realized in practice:  

"To change this trend, we need to listen to those who work with the real problems on the ground - those who implement policy decisions. Unfortunately, we see too many policy decisions that don't create real improvements for citizens and businesses. It's crucial to connect policy makers and voters with insights from practitioners - from doctors to teachers. We are doing that now," says Sigge Winther Nielsen, Director of INVI. 

All the insights are gathered with the help of AI. With it, the practical experiences of the welfare society can be collected with artificial intelligence in a way we have never seen before in the Danish democracy. The model acts as a compass that maps the four corners of the wild problems: causes, solutions, scale and level of conflict. Together, it provides a picture of the wildness of the problem.  

The model navigates the sea of knowledge
Over the past year, the model has been developed in collaboration with Professor Jacob Gerner Hariri, 800 practitioners and an advisory group of the country's leading social experts, including Chairman of the Reform Commission Professor Nina Smith, Senior Advisor Carl-Johan Dalgaard and former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Peter Stensgaard Mørch. The model has subsequently gone through a scientific peer-review process.  

"The model is designed to capture knowledge from the vast ocean of complex problems facing our society. It serves as both a compass and a tool to identify what makes problems 'wild' and how we navigate them. The model is not just a calculation exercise, but represents a nautical chart of possible approaches to change," explains Sigge Winther Nielsen. 

Take the example of child and adolescent wellbeing - an area of fragmented knowledge and disagreement about solutions. The model emphasizes that the involvement of psychologists, doctors, teachers and especially young people themselves is essential to develop effective approaches: 

"We know that there are no quick fixes. But by including the relevant practitioners from the start, we believe that government can create more sustainable reforms," adds Sigge Winther Nielsen. 

The Director of INVI also emphasizes that the political system often struggles with problems that require solutions across multiple ministries:  

"The wild problems of the 21st century cannot be solved with a toolbox based on 20th century ideas and 19th century institutions. In the grand scheme of things, INVI works to bring problems, ideas and institutions into sync. It's difficult, of course. But fortunately, it's also our only job," he concludes.

INVI's Model for Wild Problems will be presented to, among others, the Minister of Finance today, Friday, September 13, 2024 at 09:00 at a hearing at Christiansborg.  

You can download the report on the model at www.invi.nu.

Contact Head of Communications Tine Maria Borresø on 61 66 30 60 or tinemaria@invi.nu for any questions.