Renewable Energy Futures - Culture Shift Simulator 02

OVERVIEW

We invite you to share crowdsourced audio recordings of real-world insights, on how renewable energy is being adopted (or resisted) where you are. 

How is renewable energy changing life where you live - and how do people feel about it? 

Across the world, the shift toward renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal hydrogen, and more) is transforming economies, cities, villages, and daily life.  Yet every country, every community, and even every individual experiences it differently. 

Share your real-world, human-generated, personal conversations. Discuss the scenario with a friend, colleague, or family member, and speak about your authentic, lived experience or directly observed experiences in a conversation between 2 people. You could win from a potential pool of US$20,000.

Continuing our new series, the Culture Shift Simulator 02 is part of Wazoku's Market Intelligence Lab™.

By taking part in and submitting to this Prize Challenge you are granting Wazoku a right to use (but not own) your submitted information.

This Challenge requires an audio file to be uploaded with additional written questions, and there is a total award pool of US$20,000 to reward Accepted Submissions from. There is no assignment of IP Rights with this Challenge.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on June 2nd, 2025.

Please review the later Participation Guidance section before submitting a proposal.

- Login or register your interest to start solving! -

ABOUT THE SEEKER & ELIGIBILITY

Wazoku's Market Intelligence Lab™ is a next-generation, full-service market intelligence capability, blending software, collective-crowd intelligence, and synthetic intelligence to deliver live market insights, future-casting, scenario simulations, forecasting, and dynamic intelligence reports. 

It is designed to help organizations see further, faster, and deeper into the emerging forces shaping their industries and opportunities, by combining the best of human creativity, global perspective, and machine precision. 

THE CHALLENGE

Background

Challenges from the Market Intelligence Lab are designed to gather structured, expert-validated datasets that can be used to train, refine, and improve AI models across industries.

Solvers participating in MI Lab Challenges can earn, learn, and drive the future of AI with their insights.

Your insight will help build a live, global cultural map of the energy transition — and inform future innovation, policy, and investment strategies. 

Accepted submissions will earn a financial award, and help to shape the future of innovation in AI. Accepted participants will also receive a digital certificate of contribution, early invites to future Culture Shift Simulators, and optional showcasing of their profile or submission (with permission) by Wazoku Crowd.

The Challenge

Submit an audio clip of between 30 minutes and 1 hour of a conversation. We need you and one other participant to discuss a real-world scenario that describes how renewable energy is impacting life where you live, work, or study.

We want authentic observations, human-generated (no AI voices please!), based on:

• Personal experience
• Regional impacts
• Price changes and new opportunities
• Environmental considerations
• Local media coverage
• Social conversations and community feeling

For each submission, we'd also like you to tag your real-world renewable energy scenario conversation with a relevant topic. Pick one of the following per submission:

1. Solar Energy Adoption - for example: home installations, rural electrification, solar farms.
2. Wind Energy Projects - for example: land-based, offshore, personal turbines.
3. Hydrogen Energy Innovation - for example: new projects, early adoption, community awareness.
4. Bioenergy and Biomass - for example: local or regional.
5. Geothermal - for example: local projects, energy prices, home conversions.
6. Energy Access Shifts - for example: first-time electrification of rural areas, cost changes.
7. Resistance to Renewable Projects - for example: community opposition, cultural barriers, environmental factors.

As a reminder, we are looking for:

• An audio clip (30mins to 1hr) of you talking with a colleague/friend/family member
• A real-world scenario (not fictional)
• 200-300 words overview of your conversation
• Focused on how renewable energy and solutions are being adopted (or resisted) where you work, live, or study
• Related to solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen energy, geothermal, bioenergy and biomass, energy access shifts, or resistance to renewable projects
• Clearly-spoken and recorded in your primary language and culturally-specific to your context

FAQs

Can I speak in my native language?
Yes! You can submit your audio clip of a conversation between 2 participants in your preferred or native language. We will detect and process the language automatically.

What file types are accepted for the audio clip?
This must be in .zip format, or use the embed content button to link across a YouTube, Vimeo, Soundcloud, or Loom link instead!

Who can participate?
All registered members of the Wazoku Crowd are eligible to participate. If you know someone who would be a great fit but isn't yet signed up, send them the Challenge!

How will my submission be evaluated?
Submissions will be evaluated based on realism, clarity, cultural specificity, and proper tagging. Submissions must first meet minimum criteria of quality or relevance, and then a further evaluation will be made to determine acceptance of submissions.

What is an 'Accepted Submission'?
An accepted submission is one that:

• Meets all the Challenge requirements
• Passes Wazoku's internal quality review
• Is selected and approved for final client delivery

Only accepted submissions are eligible for a financial reward.

What is the financial reward for this Challenge? Why should I take part?
Accepted submissions will receive a financial reward. In Culture Shift Simulator 02 Renewable Energy Futures, there is a pool of US$20,000 to be used for rewarding accepted submission submitters. The reward amount will be confirmed and communicated to all participants with accepted submissions, following review.

What happens to my submission after it is accepted?
Your submission, if accepted:

• Will be anonymized (unless you opt-in to public recognition)
• Will be included in research datasets used by Wazoku and clients (such as leading AI labs)
• May become part of global reports or training materials helping to build smarter, safer AI models

Your insights will help the Wazoku Market Intelligence Lab™ to build the future of artificial intelligence.

Will my name be shared publicly?
By default, no - all submissions will be anonymized. If your submission is chosen for special recognition, for example a Top 10 highlights, we will ask your permission before displaying your name or profile.
 

SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS

Wazoku is only interested in submissions with the ability to meet the following requirements:

1. 30minute to 1hr audio recording of a conversation between 2 participants
2. Real-world observation about how renewable energy is being adopted (or resisted) where you are
3. Specific to one of the tagged themes/focus areas for scenarios: Solar Energy Adoption, Wind Energy Projects, Hydrogen Energy Innovations, Bioenergy and Biomass Use, Geothermal, Energy Access Shifts, Resistance to Renewable Projects
4. Between 200 - 300 words
5. Proper tagging: language, country, region, and sentiment

YOUR SUBMISSION

Please login and register your interest, to complete the submission form.

The submitted proposals can be written in any language, and must include:

1. Attachments - upload a 30 minute to 1hr-length audio file
2. Attachments - upload a 30 minute to 1hr-length audio file (.zip attachment, or a link to YouTube/Vimeo/SoundCloud or other web-hosting of your recording) of your own scenario regarding Renewable Energy adoption or resistance. This must be a conversation between 2 participants.
3. Title - a short, descriptive title of your scenario
4. Theme/Focus Area - Solar, Wind, Hydrogen, Bioenergy and Biomass, Geothermal, Energy Access Shifts, Resistance to Renewable Projects
5. Scenario - 200-300 word description of the scenario. Your human perspective matters: use of AI is not permitted, and will be removed if detected or suspected.
6. Language - please give the name (in English) of the language that your conversation is conducted in.
7. Country - tell us the country that your submission describes or is located in.
8. City/Region - if applicable, use the free text to detail the specific city or region that your scenario describes or is located in.
9. Sentiment Label - choose between positive, mixed, or negative sentiment.
10. Emotional Response - building on the sentiment regarding your renewable energy future scenario, please indicate how the scenario describes makes you feel. Choose and type one descriptive, emotional word.
11. Unique work and consent confirmation - confirm that your submission is based on real experience or observation and is your own original work, and that your submission may be anonymized and ethically used for research, AI model training, and client reporting.

PARTICIPATION GUIDANCE

1. Submission Close Date: Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on June 2nd, 2025.
2. Late submissions: Late submissions will not be considered.
3. Multiple submissions: In Culture Shift Simulator Challenges, you can submit multiple times, as long as each submission meets the brief independently. Each submission will be evaluated separately for acceptance and reward eligibility.
4. Submission evaluation: Your submission will be evaluated first for quality review by the team - meaning it meets minimum standards of quality, relevance, and originality. Then, decisions will be made on acceptance of your submission, based on internal or external review of its applicability to the prompt and requirements.
5. Evaluation notification steps: After the Challenge submission close date, Wazoku will complete the internal review process and inform you about the status of your submission. Then, you will receive an email notification within 8 weeks after the Challenge closes, informing you if your submission was accepted. All Solvers who submit a proposal will be notified about the status of their submissions.
6. Use of AI: Please note that any submissions that use generative AI are not of interest.
7. Learn more: Find out more about participation in Wazoku Crowd Challenges.