The future of AI: Who Gets a Say? - Event 27 October 2026

The rules on AI and digital platforms are being written right now, mostly without the people who will live longest with the consequences. That was the starting point for our first Tech for Youth event. On October 27, we gathered online with three experts to ask how AI is governed today, where the gaps lie, and how young people can help shape a more inclusive future.

Our speakers were Yassine Chagh, Deputy Executive Director at EquiLabs, a youth-led digital rights lab; Willow Wong, PhD candidate at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (NUS), researching AI ethics and governance; and Gina Bergh, Human Rights Officer at the UN Human Rights Office, leading work on children’s and young people’s rights in the digital environment.

Here is what stayed with us.

AI is not neutral

AI doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Inequality enters at every stage: in the data, in the design, in the institutions deploying the systems and in the wider structures around them. Even the question of what counts as “harmful” depends on who is asking, because what is safe for one group may not be for another.

For young people, these risks are already part of daily life. Chatbots are becoming companions, disinformation is eroding trust in what is true, and the first rung of the career ladder is disappearing as junior tasks get automated. Protections also vary by location, which, as one speaker put it, amounts to discrimination by design.

Rights, not just safety

A handful of companies largely own the field, and rights are too often treated as secondary to “safety”. The panel’s message was clear: principles like “ethical” or “responsible” AI only matter when they become binding obligations with real consequences. Protection shouldn’t depend on a country’s economic or political power, and rules need to adapt to local contexts.

Youth-led, not youth-centred

Young people tend to appear in the footnotes of policy documents rather than at the centre. Communities most affected by technology are often treated as people to “protect”, even though they hold real expertise. Advisory boards and surveys are a start, but not the destination. Two points stood out:

• Youth are not one group. A 15-year-old and a 24-year-old live very different digital lives, and not everyone has the same capacity to participate. The goal is not just inviting more young people, but building institutions that can represent diverse interests.

• Participation means real influence. That includes defining problems, shaping policy tools and judging outcomes, not just being consulted afterwards.

As one speaker noted, parents tend to ask “is this safe?” while young people ask “is this fair?” Keeping young people away from these tools is not a solution.

What young people are asking for

The wish list is concrete: no fake images of real people, protection of their data, tools that support creativity rather than replace it, AI that doesn’t substitute real relationships, and an end to addictive design, surveillance and misinformation. They want to be heard before decisions are made, and they are asking for a permanent seat at the table.

Questions from the audience

Our participants raised important points on AI and health (self-prescribing based on AI is dangerous, and its credibility can’t be assumed), on shared responsibility between parents, schools and companies, and on the need for human oversight. One question remains open: how can national courts hold companies accountable when they are based elsewhere?

Where we go from here

Everyone has a role to play, but companies and platforms must be accountable. And as the panel reminded us, the core message for young people is simple: know your rights and claim them.

At Tech for Youth, our aim is to help young people become not just digitally literate but digitally empowered. You can join us by filling out our survey, exploring our resources, following our social media pages, volunteering with the team or coming to our next events.

A big thank you to Yassine, Willow and Gina, and to everyone who joined and asked questions. The rules are being written now, so let’s make sure we’re part of writing them.