AI, Youth & Philanthropy: what’s at stake?
Young people today are at a critical intersection with AI and technology. While they are often seen as digital natives, this perception oversimplifies their complex relationship with technology. Young people are not just passive consumers; they are eager to have a voice and agency in shaping their digital and physical environments, both now and for the future. However, as they navigate the landscape of emerging technologies, they face significant challenges. The rapid integration of AI presents both opportunities and risks, which are further intensified by the realities of growing economic inequality and an escalating climate crisis. A recent webinar, co-hosted by the European AI and Society Fund and Fondation Botnar, brought together thought leaders, philanthropic organizations, and youth advocates to explore how AI integration affects young people and how philanthropy can play a transformative role in this dynamic landscape.
Catherine Miller, Director of the European AI and Society Fund, opened the dialogue by emphasizing the fundamental role of AI in shaping the future, particularly for younger generations. This session aimed to examine the specific ways in which AI integration impacts young people while showcasing real-world initiatives where technology-driven funders and rights-based organizations are driving positive change.
The Role of Youth in Shaping AI
One of the most insightful contributions came from Daria Ciufudean, Vice President of the National Student Council of Romania and co-creator of the School of Possibilities, a youth-led project aimed at reimagining Romania’s educational system through the use of AI-enabled tools.
“Imagine that all students in a country can express what needs to change in school,” Ciufudean explained, “and we make this happen with principles and policymakers for young people who truly flourish.”
Since its inception in May 2023, the School of Possibilities has leveraged generative AI chatbots to allow students to interact with everyday school objects like desks, teachers, or chalkboards, each with their own personality. Through these playful interactions, students are encouraged to express their thoughts and needs, ultimately feeding their input into educational reform discussions.
“This interaction allows students to talk about their challenges, dreams, everyday experiences by simply typing in whatever they feel, what they think, what their real problems are” Ciufudean explained, pointing to the significance of AI as a tool for giving voice to those traditionally left out of the decision-making process.
The project is supported by Fondation Botnar, a philanthropic foundation dedicated to the well-being of young people in urban and digital spaces. As Ciufudean noted, the goal of the project is to ensure that students’ voices are heard in a meaningful way, particularly in an education system that often overlooks them.
“Young people mostly don’t feel encouraged to make the change,” Ciufudean said. “As young people we are both the users and creators of AI enabled solutions and it’s essential that we actively participate in the shaping of the future of education and technology”.
Through projects like the School of Possibilities, students are gradually gaining the confidence to express their needs and ideas and are starting to see tangible results. Ciufudean pointed to the project’s success in getting student recommendations included in national education regulations as a testament to the power of youth-driven AI initiatives.
Addressing the Risks of AI
While AI holds incredible promise, it also presents significant risks, particularly when it comes to bias and discrimination. Alexandra Darby, AI and Digital Rights Lead at the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO), shared the work her organization has been doing through its AI Islamophobia campaign. FEMYSO, as highlighted by Darby, holds the vision to be the “leading voice for European Muslim youth developing and empowering them and working to build a diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe”. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the ways AI systems can entrench anti-Muslim bias in Europe.
“We’ve been running our AI Islamophobia campaign with the aim to bring a unique perspective on the impact of AI in the European context,” Darby stated, emphasizing how AI systems can marginalize communities, from a European Muslim youth perspective.
Darby cited specific cases, such as the Dutch benefits scandal, where algorithms flagged individuals who had donated to mosques as fraudulent, depriving them of social benefits.
“In many cases, it plunged them into further debt, and in some cases, caused children to be taken into state custody because of financial concerns,” Darby explained.
With the aim to raise awareness about how common the instances and problems are of islamophobia in large language models, FEMYSO recently organized a “red-teaming” event at the European Parliament, where 50 participants attempted to trick AI systems into producing biased results. In one scenario, an AI was asked to list the religion, nationality, and motivation for a terrorist incident. 2 out of the 3 language models generated a list of Muslim identities from different countries, showing the ease with which AI systems can reproduce harmful stereotypes.
“The number of instances we were able to generate was shocking,” Darby remarked. “Unfortunately, we found that this type of material could be generated for policy guidelines for speeches and for slogans as well as for workplace policies to do with the rights to practice your faith.”
These cases highlight the urgent need for greater diversity in the AI field, and FEMYSO is well-positioned to address this challenge. With over 30 member organizations across 20 European countries, FEMYSO have the capacity to bring a distinct, impactful, and much-needed perspective to the conversation. Their efforts in this area focus on enhancing AI literacy and advocacy skills for young Muslims.
The Role of Philanthropy in AI Governance
Philanthropy plays a vital role in addressing both the opportunities and risks of AI, particularly by supporting initiatives that empower young people and ensure their voices are included in shaping AI’s future. Gus Rossi, Director of Responsible Technology at the Omidyar Network, highlighted how his organization supports young activists in this space.
“It was important to incorporate the voices of like young leaders into the organization and to the work that we do,” Rossi explained.
Rossi further discussed the challenge of helping youth-led organizations establish the legal structures and secure the funding necessary to start their work, noting,
“Helping organizations that are led by young activists create the institution and the legal structures that they need and have some of the funding that they need to start doing some work and that seems very simple but it’s very hard,” Rossi highlighted.
Philanthropy plays a crucial role in supporting young activist-led organizations, yet it often faces challenges in providing this support effectively. Many of these organizations struggle with establishing the necessary legal structures or accessing the resources needed to begin their work. The burden is even greater for young leaders who are still balancing their education and early career aspirations. Rossi emphasized the importance of nurturing early-career professionals and young leaders who bring fresh perspectives on responsible AI governance, particularly through initiatives like the Responsible Tech Power Fund, which provides funding and mentorship for youth-led projects.
The approach to youth empowerment in AI, as described by Yolanda Botti-Lodovico, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Innovation at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, emphasizes a broader perspective than just technical skills acquisition. The vision extends beyond teaching coding or securing high-paying tech jobs, aiming for every young person to have a foundational understanding of AI while also equipping them with “future-ready” skills. These include critical thinking about AI’s impacts, its opportunities, and its challenges, especially for youth from underrepresented and marginalized communities.
“We envision a world where young people really have the agency to think critically about these tools, about their uses, about the opportunities and challenges that arise when using these tools but more so we want young people especially those from underrepresented and marginalized communities to really feel empowered to shape the future that we live in,” said Botti-Lodovico.
Organizations like Technovation and IndigiGenius are putting this vision into practice by offering educational programs that teach AI skills while also fostering creativity, problem-solving, and leadership. For instance, Technovation aims to educate 25 million girls and young women in AI skills by 2038, encouraging projects that tackle real-world issues such as sustainable farming and water conservation. Meanwhile, IndigiGenius works with Indigenous youth to build culturally relevant AI tools, such as language preservation applications that connect traditional knowledge with modern technology.
Botti-Lodovico highlights the role of philanthropy in supporting these efforts, urging foundations to move beyond funding standard AI curricula and to explore novel approaches that empower young people to not only engage with but also own AI tools with agency, creativity, and confidence.
This session highlighted that the future of AI will be shaped not only by technologists and corporations but also by the young people who will live with its consequences the longest. Through sustained efforts by philanthropic organizations and meaningful engagement from youth advocates, AI can be developed in ways that are both innovative and equitable. Philanthropic institutions are already playing a crucial role in ensuring that AI serves all communities, safeguarding rights, and amplifying the voices of the next generation.