Session
Subtheme
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 4: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 4: Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 1: Xianliang Ren, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Francis Gurry, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Kilnam Chon, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 4: Morici Federica, Private Sector, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 5: Yasmine Abdu, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Francis Gurry, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Kilnam Chon, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 4: Morici Federica, Private Sector, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 5: Yasmine Abdu, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: The 60-minute roundtable format is ideal for empowering youth leadership in the AI era. It allows for a focused discussion on key challenges and opportunities, ensuring the conversation remains productive within a limited time. This format encourages active participation, creating an interactive environment where participants can ask questions, share insights, and engage in meaningful dialogue. The lively interaction stimulates deeper thinking and helps reach consensus on actionable strategies to support youth development in AI era. Additionally, it fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing among diverse stakeholders, driving the implementation of effective initiatives. Overall, the roundtable maximizes efficiency, facilitates cooperation, and supports the goal of empowering the next generation of AI leaders.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: The 60-minute roundtable format is ideal for empowering youth leadership in the AI era. It allows for a focused discussion on key challenges and opportunities, ensuring the conversation remains productive within a limited time. This format encourages active participation, creating an interactive environment where participants can ask questions, share insights, and engage in meaningful dialogue. The lively interaction stimulates deeper thinking and helps reach consensus on actionable strategies to support youth development in AI era. Additionally, it fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing among diverse stakeholders, driving the implementation of effective initiatives. Overall, the roundtable maximizes efficiency, facilitates cooperation, and supports the goal of empowering the next generation of AI leaders.
Policy Question(s)
(1) In the AI era, how can we cultivate young people’s human creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills while nurturing and inspiring their leadership?
(2) How can we mobilize resources and implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance youth digital skills, particularly AI literacy? What roles can young people themselves play, and what support systems are needed to enable their success?
(3) How can youth leaders co-design digital governance frameworks to accelerate inclusive internet infrastructure development in underserved regions?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of AI in empowering youth leadership and its impact on global development. They will explore strategies to bridge the digital divide and ensure the youth generation equitable access to AI education, particularly in developing regions. Through case studies and expert insights, attendees will learn how to foster youth leadership in AI, addressing ethical challenges and promoting inclusive digital policies. The session will provide practical tools and frameworks for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to support youth-driven initiatives and integrate AI into educational and developmental programs. By the end, participants will have a clearer vision of how to leverage AI for youth empowerment and contribute to a more inclusive digital future.
SDGs
Description:
Amidst rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, youth have emerged as pivotal drivers of technological innovation. However, reports by UNESCO and the ITU reveal a stark digital divide: only a fraction of young people in developing countries have access to AI literacy training. Many lack opportunities to engage with AI education and resources, hindering their ability to participate in AI-driven socioeconomic development. Concurrently, challenges such as ethical dilemmas and job displacement demand urgent upskilling to equip youth with adaptive competencies. This workshop will convene leading experts in internet governance and technology alongside youth representatives from diverse regions to foster intergenerational dialogue. Participants will collaboratively explore the pivotal role of young people in the AI era and develop actionable strategies to empower them through leadership opportunities, ethical AI literacy programs, and inclusive policy co-design. Discussions will focus on cultivating youth leadership through platforms that enable them to showcase AI-driven practices in digital policymaking, scientific research innovation, and public good initiatives. By facilitating cross-cultural and cross-sectoral exchanges — via keynotes, discussions, and best-practice presentation — the session aims to foster collaborative solutions, empowering youth to harness AI opportunities for global internet governance. In November 2024, 30 fellows from 21 countries and regions under the WIC Global Youth Leadership Program co-signed the WIC Global Youth Leadership Initiative at the Wuzhen Summit, advocating for youth-led actions in shaping an inclusive digital future. This workshop will highlight progress in implementing the Initiative and mobilize broader youth engagement in follow-up actions.
Amidst rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, youth have emerged as pivotal drivers of technological innovation. However, reports by UNESCO and the ITU reveal a stark digital divide: only a fraction of young people in developing countries have access to AI literacy training. Many lack opportunities to engage with AI education and resources, hindering their ability to participate in AI-driven socioeconomic development. Concurrently, challenges such as ethical dilemmas and job displacement demand urgent upskilling to equip youth with adaptive competencies. This workshop will convene leading experts in internet governance and technology alongside youth representatives from diverse regions to foster intergenerational dialogue. Participants will collaboratively explore the pivotal role of young people in the AI era and develop actionable strategies to empower them through leadership opportunities, ethical AI literacy programs, and inclusive policy co-design. Discussions will focus on cultivating youth leadership through platforms that enable them to showcase AI-driven practices in digital policymaking, scientific research innovation, and public good initiatives. By facilitating cross-cultural and cross-sectoral exchanges — via keynotes, discussions, and best-practice presentation — the session aims to foster collaborative solutions, empowering youth to harness AI opportunities for global internet governance. In November 2024, 30 fellows from 21 countries and regions under the WIC Global Youth Leadership Program co-signed the WIC Global Youth Leadership Initiative at the Wuzhen Summit, advocating for youth-led actions in shaping an inclusive digital future. This workshop will highlight progress in implementing the Initiative and mobilize broader youth engagement in follow-up actions.
Expected Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will have actionable strategies to mitigate AI over-reliance, prepare youth for future workforce demands, and shape youth leadership aligning AI era. Key outcomes include:
Strengthening international cooperation through proposals for enhanced cross-country and cross-sector collaboration.
Developing a roadmap for the WIC Global Youth Leadership Initiatives, encouraging youth leadership and providing tools for digital governance and education access change.
Collaborating on a recommendations report for policymakers and key organizations, influencing future digital governance policies.
Encouraging young leaders to develop initiatives and joint projects strengthening global digital infrastructure and promoting equitable education and technology access.
Hybrid Format: 1. As a hybrid forum, we will feature both onsite and online speakers and attendees. To maximize participation, we will invite and encourage online attendance via Zoom. The moderators will closely collaborate to energize discussions. The online moderator will promptly collect and relay questions to the onsite moderator, ensuring seamless communication between both groups.
2. Multiple staff and volunteers will be onsite for live-streaming speakers' presentations via Zoom. Onsite moderators and speakers can view online questions in real-time on screen. The online moderator will push meaningful questions to the onsite moderator, strictly manage speaking time, and promote the forum in advance to prepare online participants with questions, enhancing the discussion quality.
3. The organizer will create promotional materials, including graphic and textual links and posters, and disseminate them through social media platforms like WeChat, X & Facebook. This will attract more attendees, stimulate pre-forum thinking, and foster a collaborative atmosphere.