The Artificial Intelligence (AI) strand of our Stronger Together programme aims to develop specialised skills that will enable young leaders to 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 empower 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 regarding on the critical challenges and best 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 & 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 the year 2023-24, we plan to organise five face-to-face hackathon-style events in Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, and France. At these events young people will explore how Artificial Intelligence can serve as a tool to mitigate climate change and generate creative ideas centered around the theme of Green Cities.
Dates and countries of hackathon events:
- 27-29 October in Ireland
- 17-19 November in Cyprus
- 1-3 December in France
- 7-9 December in Hungary
- 15-17 December in Greece
Green Cities
Green Cities is the theme of this year’s hackathon events. Participants of these events are invited to generate creative ideas aimed at improving people’s lives in urban areas by making them more sustainable and eco-friendlier.
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, 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.
https://www.learn-tech.io/
Study visit trip in Bristol, UK
Winning teams of the hackathon events will be awarded with a study visit trip to Bristol, one of the leading sustainable cities in the UK (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 from the hackathon events will have the opportunity to visit relevant institutions and projects, gaining inspiration and expanding their knowledge about practices of AI solutions for sustainable urban living. Participants will also meet the winning teams from other countries where hackathons took place, facilitating idea exchange 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. Here, they will engage with experts in AI, sustainability, social impact, including policy makers, researchers, companies, and academics. The purpose of this event is to explore the potential of Artificial Intelligence in creating social value and to initiate discussions about the role of youth as leaders for social change and drivers of the new technological era.