The role of technology in various facets of our daily lives and societies is fast growing. How can humanity shape this technological wave? How can we anticipate and steer the impact of artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum and other emerging technologies? How do we ensure that technology serves the common good and empowers people?
Building on our previous AI for the Common Good programme,Tech for Humanity aims to offer knowledge and skills to young people to envision a world where technology serves as a catalyst for positive change.
Learning objectives of the programme
- an understanding of the imminent waves of AI-driven technology
- an introduction to proactive strategies to engage with these technological waves
- strategies for directing technology towards positive ends
- expertise in crafting and executing technology strategies
- tools for generating meaningful social impact.
As part of the Youth Connect programme, we are aiming to highlight a range of contemporary critical topics and provide opportunities for dialogue between youth and policy makers allowing for young people’s views to be shaped into recommendations. In the previous two years of the programme, activities such as focus groups, hackathons, study visits and policy dialogues took place to equip young people with skills to raise their voice and influence the future use of technology as a tool for prosperity and inclusion.
In partnership with the UNESCO International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), Microsoft Hellas and Cyprus, learn-tech.io, Collective Intelligence, Universities and local NGOs in Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Hungary and the UK, we aimed to bring young leaders to the forefront of public discourse on the future of technology and its social impact. The AI for the common good programme was shortlisted in the ‘Data for Good’ category of the 2023 Data IQ Awards.
Building on this successful programme, here is our activity plan for 2024–25.
Activity Plan 2024–25
Five training events in Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland and the UK where young people will be invited to explore technology strategies and AI’s role in a range of societal challenges like sustainability. Participants will work in teams and produce videos using AI tools to draft their recommendations on how technology can serve as a catalyst for positive change for humanity (September–December 2024).
Our trainer, Mike Lloyd, a leading expert in technology, will help the teams to facilitate these ideas and turn them into powerful messages using technology. The compilation of the best videos from each event will be showcased online and featured in public and policy forums.
Dates
- 4–6 November 2024, London, UK
- 11–13 November 2024, Dublin, Ireland
- 22–24 November 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus
- 29 November – 1 December 2024, Athens, Greece
- 5–7 December 2024, Paris, France
Our UK expert
Mike Lloyd is a technology leader, and Fellow of the British Computer Society. His passion is to democratise Deep Tech. Mike started his career in engineering, spent ten years teaching in schools and at the Open University, then worked in a senior, international position at Microsoft for over a decade. In September 2013, Mike founded learn-tech.io, a London-based technology start-up, to build learning solutions focused on 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 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.
