Young people must help shape the future of AI, OU researcher tells UN forums

Young people must be actively involved in shaping how artificial intelligence is governed if societies are to realise its benefits responsibly and equitably, according to Open University (OU) researcher Dr Alexandra Okada.

Dr Okada, who leads the OU's Global Education and Digital Transformation network and is a member of the UNESCO UNITWIN Chair on AIED Unplugged, shared her research on AI literacy and youth participation at three major United Nations (UN) events in Geneva: the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the AI for Good Global Summit and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum.

The events brought together global policymakers, researchers and educators to discuss the future of AI. Opening the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that "we must ensure AI serves humanity, and not the other way around".

For Dr Okada, two themes stood out: involving young people in decisions about AI, and ensuring countries from the Global South and Global North can participate as equal partners in shaping its future.

"A future decided for young people is never as strong as one shaped with them," said Dr Okada. "As AI becomes part of everyday life, we need to create opportunities for young people to participate in conversations about how these technologies are designed, used and governed. At the same time, these discussions must include voices from across the world if we want AI to support sustainable and equitable futures."

As part of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Dr Okada convened a side event, Global Education and AI: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Futures, bringing together educators, researchers and young people to explore how education can support responsible AI.

The discussion focused on the CARE-KNOW-DO approach, which promotes responsible AI literacy through understanding real-world challenges, building knowledge through inquiry and taking informed action.

"The next generation will not simply use AI — they will have to govern it," said Dr Okada. "CARE-KNOW-DO gives them a way to begin: caring enough to ask what a technology is for, knowing enough to judge it, and being able to act on that judgement. That is how AI literacy becomes civic agency."

The event also highlighted two open-access resources developed through this work. Knowledge Cartography for Young Thinkers has been accessed more than 22,000 times worldwide, while a companion study in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, involving 330 students across the UK, Greece and Brazil, has been accessed more than 10,000 times.

Across the three UN events, discussions highlighted the importance of education, inclusion and collaboration in ensuring future generations are equipped not only to use AI, but to help shape its development and governance.