An Op-Ed by Fergousi Begum
During the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) July 7-15 in New York, the abundance of panels discussing youth involvement and technology–often the combination of the two—stood out. The Forum, which focused on specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda, provided some optimistic discussions–but also left me with conflicting emotions about the role of young people and their agency in policymaking on technology, particularly with artificial intelligence.
Many of the youth and technology panels emphasized the importance of placing young people at the forefront of policymaking and giving them the space to dictate their futures. Others were dominated by diplomats speaking about the need to include young people while offering no support, resources, or even visibility in the conversation.
One event I attended was “Humanity at the Center: Ethical AI, the Water–Energy–Food Nexus, and Global Partnerships for Transformative SDG Action,” organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and several partners. While it stood out from the many other AI-focused side events for its combination of youth and expert panelists, I came away with more questions and concerns about technology-driven sustainability and the selective inclusion of youth.
The side event opened with a keynote speech by Dr. Kaveh Madani, Director at UNU-INWEH, followed by a series of student-led presentations on how AI can be used to progress across various sectors–ranging from agriculture and food to public space and urban planning. While Dr. Madani acknowledged the danger of the technology, especially as it pertains to water and resources, he primarily focused on the utility of AI and how it could function to aid in the Water–Energy–Food Nexus. He discussed how–with warning labels, research into potential harm, and government oversight–artificial intelligence can be applied broadly for the greater good. He stressed that we must learn from the environmental degradation of past industrial revolutions—a response that assumes that the infrastructure needed to responsibly manage AI exists presently in either markets or governments. Such workarounds have been questioned by even those at the highest levels of safety research within leading AI companies.
Even with warnings of the world-ending potential of advancing technologies, their implementation persists on the largest political platforms. We are repeatedly exposed to new technologies that promise solutions with the assumption that we can eventually draw boundaries, but rarely do we see the boundaries arise. Whether or not AI can streamline some issues within the nexus does not remedy the fact that, as it does so, it may be worsening every other aspect.
I spoke briefly with Dr. Madani after the event, asking if he thought it was really possible to push through a green transition and ethically use AI to improve sustainability, given all that we see occurring. He again emphasized his starting remarks—that we must impose limitations, that governments need to collaborate with the private sector to mitigate harms, and that, should we build proper foundations, we do not need to fear change—but the gaping question of “how” still remains to be answered.
If we can agree that there is a lack of will to impose guardrails and that technology is environmentally harmful, is it worthwhile to keep pursuing despite everything?
The answers to these problems with AI need to be identified and addressed before pursuing implementation on national and international scales. This was the focus of the first two youth presentations. Two groups of students, one from Shenzhen Middle School, China, and the other from Hanil High School, South Korea, created and virtually presented their ideas on how we can cool and maintain AI data centers. Their work highlighted the need to incorporate younger voices when seeking solutions to issues that have long-term implications. These are the problems they will be left to deal with, so helping them to recognize and become familiar with the world of innovation, problem-solving, and governance is crucial.
Two more presentations addressed urban development through AI. The first focused on improving youth involvement in Jung-Gu, Korea, to ensure growth in the face of declining population demographics and economic stagnation. The speaker proposed a website that integrates AI and helps young people start businesses, speak directly to local officials, and network with others in their age group. The second presentation proposed redesigning parks using AI, repurposing pre-existing parks that community members feel are inadequate, and more rapidly renovating green areas. The final presenters spoke on AI usage in food systems, including one on the use of AI to map and address food deserts across cities, and another on vertical hydroponic farming techniques.
While all these presentations were fascinating, and more conversations with young people should occur, I left feeling the conversation was incomplete. Of the many presenters, not one was from a region where mineral extraction has been displacing people en masse, nor had they experienced the physical and cultural burden of AI–whether through soaring energy bills, harsh working conditions in AI training centers, or loss of creative jobs. These were among the missing voices.
While continuing to engage young people in the conversation, there needs to be greater dialogue across all experiences with technology. A representative conversation where we include young people cannot selectively look at countries that can afford to outsource the burden. With platforms as big as the United Nations, we must leverage the space to highlight these multifaceted and complex topics across all age groups and levels of expertise. To meaningfully progress in all sectors and manage whichever technology comes to dominate, we need to encourage and support young people to be critical thinkers and advocates regarding the technology presented before them. AI is powerful, but so are our future policymakers. Let us allow them to lead independent of technology.
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Ferdousi Begum is an Honors Living & Learning Community Scholar at Rutgers–Newark and is currently a Research and Advocacy Intern with Women in Migration Network (WIMN).
