The #NEXT project aimed to increase trust in AI, enhance youth engagement in AI policymaking, and equip young people and youth workers with essential digital, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The key objectives were to: -Raise awareness about the role of AI in society, politics, and the labor market. -Bridge the gap between AI research, policymakers, and youth, ensuring inclusive discussions on AI ethics and governance. -Empower young people to critically assess AI and contribute to shaping its norms, policies, and ethical standards. -Develop educational resources, including a curriculum, toolkit, and e-learning platform, to enhance youth workers' and young people’s competencies in AI. -Promote civic participation, enabling youth to advocate for trustworthy AI development in Europe. -Through training, workshops, AI norm-shaping camps, and policy recommendations, the project supported a human-centric AI ecosystem, fostering digital inclusion, ethical awareness, and responsible innovation.
The #NEXT project addressed the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in society, tackling key challenges such as lack of trust, ethical concerns, and limited youth engagement in AI governance. While AI offers innovation and economic growth, issues like bias, transparency, and accountability hinder public trust. The EU also faces market fragmentation and difficulties in attracting AI talent, lagging behind global leaders. Young people and youth organizations lack opportunities, digital literacy, and problem-solving skills to engage in AI policymaking. #NEXT aimed to bridge the gap between AI research, policy, and youth, equipping them with skills to critically assess, shape AI norms, and foster civic participation. Through training, an e-learning platform, curriculum development, and policy recommendations, the project empowered youth and youth workers to build a trustworthy AI ecosystem and actively contribute to AI governance in the EU.