What role can young people play in shaping digital societies? How can the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI be implemented with regard to young people? These were the questions that came to mind when Sophie Kwasny asked me to return to Strasbourg at the Council of Europe to give a talk at the Youth at the Council of Europe ‘s workshop on AI, young people, and democratic resilience.
In view of a possible recommendation on these topics, it is crucial to consider the current situation, characterised by the dominant role of a few private law firms, the impact of technosolutionism on democracy, the dependence of governments on the private sector, and the risk of public tasks and deliberative processes being shifted to private entities and their operational rules.
Against this socio-political background, responses cannot be based solely on general principles and guidance; they must also address key areas such as work, democratic participation, the environment and mental health.
Through very stimulating interactions with participants, we attempted to address these challenges, with the aim of re-centring current AI development on responsible innovation and the effective empowerment of young people. This would be achieved through youth-centred co-design of AI development and use.
