Engaging Youth: The Future of AI
Written by Alisha Arora.
Youth may just be 10% of today but we are 100% of tomorrow.
With the increased use of Artificial Intelligence in our daily lives, we need to adopt regulations and take efforts to guarantee that we are best supporting and involving youth in the development of AI.
As a passionate 15-year-old leveraging AI, I recognise the importance of making AI transparent and accessible to youth.
On September 15th, 2021, I spoke on a panel with other influential decision-makers about AI for children, hosted by the Scottish Government. I shared how I am leveraging AI to detect suicidal ideation in social media content to prevent suicide with companies such as Microsoft, and Facebook. There are many other applications of AI that are impacting billions of people. This just proves how AI can change the world.
"Age should never be a barrier to making an impact." Powerful words this morning from @alishaarora_ who is aiming to leverage technology and #AI to help prevent suicides. pic.twitter.com/0JD4AgI5vb
— Scotland's AI Strategy (@ScotAIStrategy) September 15, 2021
It is no doubt that AI has already become a part of who we are; it is prominent in governments, corporations, charities, and schools. Yet, it's shocking to know that almost 65 percent of youth have no idea what artificial intelligence is, let alone how it works.
We need to educate youth to be aware of AI and how it affects their life. But even more so, we need to involve youth in leveraging AI so that they can apply a tool like AI to solve problems that they care about.
In my discussion hosted by the Scottish Government, we brainstormed a few important factors to be aware of when working with AI for children.
Transparency
It’s been said that in the next couple of years, people won’t be questioning if AI models work but how they work. Therefore, more awareness of AI needs to be made. In this digital age, there are many resources for youth to learn about AI, however, there needs to be awareness. Companies, educators, and influencers need to use their platforms to advocate and spread awareness around AI.
Additionally, the privacy of youth is important. Youth are being monitored through phones/social media and their data is constantly being used to make decisions that could impact their life. They need to be aware of how their technology use is impacting the world. Companies and governments need to be more transparent to parents and youth on how they are taking their data.
Education around AI
It’s conspicuous that education plays a crucial role in our development as individuals.
In education systems around the world, we primarily focus on main knowledge areas such as Math/Science, and we forget to discuss the applications of these knowledge areas. For instance, we need to shift the focus to how learning math can impact the work we do in the future. As educators, we don’t need to be preparing youth for the exams next week but for the future which is tomorrow.
Secondly, in a world filled with tech, we need more humans, not more robots. We need more innovators leveraging technology to impact billions. Our education system needs to be focused on building innovators by teaching them human skills just as many technical skills. Because the technology is there. We just need more people coming together to make it a reality.
I see technology as an exciting opportunity. There has never been a time where technology has been at arms reach other than now. You don't have to be an engineer, scholar, or the best programmer to leverage tech to impact billions; you can be a 15 year old like me.
Involving youth in the conversations
As UNICEF’s AI for Children policy guidance states, the best way to support children is to include them. Governments and corporations can often assume they know what youth are going through and what their environment is like, but the truth is, 90% of the time they don’t.
If we want to see change in the sector of AI for children, we need to take the initiative to listen to youth on their perspectives and involve youth in the decision-making process. Only when listening to youth, can we make a change in areas that are impacting them.
During the past year, we witnessed the impact COVID had on youth mental health. It showed us the importance of having supports readily available. However, we can't expect to have a robot therapist or a chatbot to help the mental wellbeing of youth. We need human connection.
All in all, youth are the future. We need to not just be giving them the tools to learn about AI but we need to make them innovators so that they can be future leaders.
Most importantly everyone has a role to play, educators, parents, corporations, and governments all can influence how youth interact with AI for the better.
Take action
It's encouraged that all readers take action. Here are a few ways you can do so:
If you are part of a tech company or startup, create opportunities to teach youth about AI, and get involved!
Mentor the next generation; teach them the skills of tomorrow.
If you work at the government or are part of an organisation, have a youth voice present when making decisions that can affect youth
About Alisha
Alisha Arora is an ambitious 15-year-old on a mission to leverage AI to better support youth mental health. She is currently researching at MIT’s AI lab to diagnose mental illness. Alisha is also working towards detecting suicidal ideation in social media content to prevent suicide.
As an ardent philanthropist she founded her own non-profit organisation, The HopeSisters. Their passion for supporting children in foster care has led them to gain recognition on national television and from government officials.
