The Artificial Intelligence (AI) strand of our Stronger Together programme aims to develop specialised skills that will enable young leaders design AI-based solutions for addressing to social and climate challenges.
AI viewed as a technology with the potential to address some of the most significant global challenges we face today. Young people possess the ability to influence the future of AI and whether it will be used as a tool for shaping solutions to real-world problems. It is a field in which they will be called upon to act critically, influence others and support broader society. It is crucial to direct our youth leadership work towards a field that empowers young people to lead the progress and make a positive impact through social action.
The project, through its activities, aims to engage young people in creative thinking and foster innovative ideas and solutions for pressing contemporary issues.
Additionally, through the final policy dialogue, we seek to establish a targeted platform for exchange between young leaders and national and European policy-makers on the critical challenges and good practices in promoting Artificial Intelligence for the common good.
Activities
In 2022–23, a series of activities took place, including focus groups, face-to-face hackathon events, a study visit and a policy dialogue. These activities were conducted in partnership with UNESCO International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), Microsoft Hellas and Cyprus, learn-tech.io and Universities and local NGOs in Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Hungary, and the UK. The Stronger Together AI for The Common Good programme was shortlisted in the ‘Data for Good’ category of the Data IQ Awards.
Building on this success, in 2023–24 we plan to organise five face-to-face hackathon-style events in Ireland, Cyprus, UK, Hungary and Greece. At these events young people will explore how Artificial Intelligence can serve as a tool to mitigate climate change and generate creative ideas centred around the theme of Green Cities.
Dates and countries of hackathon events:
Green Cities
Green Cities is the theme of this year’s hackathon events. Participants will be invited to generate creative ideas aimed at improving people’s lives in urban areas by making them more sustainable and eco-friendly.
Our UK expert
Our trainer, Mike Lloyd, is a leading expert in technology and will assist teams in facilitating these ideas and transforming them into real solutions based on AI. Mike is a technology leader, and Fellow of the British Computer Society. His passion lies in democratising Deep Tech. Mike started his career in engineering, spent a decade teaching in schools and at the Open University, then held a senior international position at Microsoft for over a decade. In September 2013, Mike founded learn-tech.io, a London-based technology start-up, with a focus on developing learning solutions in AI, the Internet of Things and climate change mitigation. Mike is the author of Schooling at the Speed of Thought – a guide to transforming education – and has designed numerous courses, including AI Demystified, AI for Leaders and Digital Technology Demystified. He is also the inventor of ZEP Island, an educational game that helps people learn how technology and data can be used to mitigate climate change.
Study visit trip in Bristol, UK
The winning teams of the hackathon events will be awarded a study visit trip to Bristol – one of the leading sustainable cities in the UK – in March 2024. Bristol was the first British city to be named European Green Capital, an award that celebrates and promotes innovative responses to urban environmental challenges. The winning teams will have the opportunity to visit relevant institutions and expand their knowledge about how AI is being used to find solutions for sustainable urban living. Participants will also meet the winning teams from other countries where hackathons took place, facilitating the exchange of ideas and networking.
One international youth policy dialogue event
During the study visit to Bristol, participants will be invited to join a youth policy dialogue event, where they will engage with experts in AI, sustainability and social impact, as well as policymakers, researchers, companies and academics. The purpose of the event is to explore the potential of artificial intelligence in creating social value and initiate discussions about the role of youth as leaders for social change and drivers of the new technological era.