The Wired Youth: Science Forum project successfully concluded with its final conference held on April 13, 2024 at the Valletta Design Cluster.
Led by the Malta Chamber of Scientists, the project was a collaborative effort funded by Erasmus+ that brought together 20 young people between the ages of 15-18 from Malta and Greece to explore and address the challenges and opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The final conference brought together a diverse audience, including representatives from the European Union Programmes Agency, the Ministry of Education, project partners (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Esplora, and Science View), and the young people from Malta and Greece who were the driving force behind the project.
Through several activities throughout the project, including four workshops and an intensive boot camp, participants explored the impact of AI on society. This fostered a strong sense of ownership, which became evident in February when the young people presented their insightful resolutions on the ethical, educational, and workplace implications of AI to Parliamentary Speaker Anglu Farrugia.
The final conference served as a culmination of their efforts, showcasing the project's achievements with a particular focus on the resolutions developed by the young people. These resolutions addressed crucial aspects of AI's impact, including ethical considerations such as ensuring diverse data collection practices, promoting inclusive AI development, and establishing a regulatory body to oversee data quality.
Moreover, they delved into the future of jobs, proposing measures like providing AI education for young people, developing a comprehensive labour policy to address job displacement, and making AI more accessible to small businesses. Additionally, education and AI were highlighted, with proposed guidelines for the responsible use of AI tools, teacher training for AI integration, and fostering balanced learning approaches that leverage AI while prioritising human expertise.
The youths were given questionnaires before and after every activity. The results showed that their confidence in discussing complex issues like AI grew and they also developed a deeper understanding of AI’s facets. The project empowered youth through active participation in proposing solutions and eagerness to shape a future influenced by AI. Project partners expressed their deep appreciation for the young people's contributions and the valuable insights gleaned throughout the project.
Building upon the project's success, the team is now actively drafting a policy paper that incorporates the resolutions developed by the young participants. This paper aims to inform policy decisions related to AI and its impact on society.
Additionally, a "Best Practice Guidelines" toolkit is being developed to equip others with the knowledge and tools to run successful Student Science Parliaments, replicating the valuable platform created by the Wired Youth: Science Forum project.