AI and the future of governance at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum

I was delighted to be speak about Gen Z viewpoints on a future with AI at the Futures Festival: Worlds in the Making at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum.

We'll be the generation most affected by AI algorithms, AI automation and AI opportunities.

But we are not passive consumers of AI.

We are AI builders, innovators, philosophers, leaders, advocates and so much more.

Special thanks to Honor Harger, Director of ArtScience Museum, for always including youth in any conversation on the future! And to my fellow panelists:

Jeanette Kwek, Head of Strategic Futures, Strategy Group, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore
Liana Tang, Second Director (Smart Nation, Strategy, Futures), Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Singapore
Cheryl Chung, Senior Director, Insights and Strategy, The Majurity Trust

The festival is designed as a space for exchange between the fields of art, science, and futures practice. As a researcher in AI and philosophy, I love how the ArtScience Museum provides a space for an exchange for STEM and humanities.

AI for gender equality at the United Nations in New York

I spoke about AI for Gender Equality at the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) at United Nations Headquarters in New York. My co-panelists included Ms. Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, and was chaired by United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) President Bob Rae.

My remarks were featured on the UN website:

UN Press Release “Youth voices also featured prominently. Zara Khanna, Youth Ambassador for She Loves Tech, underscored the role of education and digital inclusion in empowering girls, “Firstly, accelerate connectivity. We must distribute more internet hotspots… Secondly, we must distribute more devices… And finally, governments must invest in creating these AI-powered programs that are culture- and language-specific.”

UN Web TV “Further, “there is unequal access to education for women all over the world”, said Zara Khanna, Youth Ambassador for She Loves Tech, citing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered learning programmes as a “key tool to aid us in bridging the divide”.  They can approach students on an individual level, offering personalized feedback, which is especially important for those who face cultural and other barriers to gaining an education.  She spotlighted Khan Academy — a free AI-powered personalized tutor that offers a range of subjects, from English to math, or Rori, which was piloted in Ghana and is available on all mobile devices, as it operates via WhatsApp.  This is especially important, given that mobile penetration is extremely high; while 129 million girls lack access to education, 4.9 billion people worldwide have access to smartphones.

Outlining solutions, she underscored the need to accelerate connectivity by distributing more Internet hotspots.  One single hotspot can power a village, and hundreds of girls can gain access to the wealth of knowledge available online. Additionally, more devices, such as smartphones and tablets, shall be distributed, so girls can access this knowledge.  She underscored that Governments must invest in creating culture and language-specific AI-powered programmes to cater to the job markets that these girls will be entering. Through early science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) intervention, mentorship programmes and more gender-neutral language, “we can all move together to reach SDG 5 by 2030” and “a more gender-neutral future”.

AI Education for Youth at the United Nations symposium in Seoul, South Korea

I spoke at a United Nations conference in South Korea dedicated to “Effective Governance and AI Transformation for the 2030 Agenda.” In the session on “Shaping the Future of AI for and by the Youth,” I gave a speech highlighting the power of youth-driven innovation and ethical leadership in the AI landscape, including empowering youth to take an active role in designing the AI technologies that will define our future.

Presenting my travel chatbot Octa at Robotex in Tallinn, Estonia

“How to EDUCATE THE NEXT 50,000 KID ENTREPRENEURS”

I was invited to present my chatbot Octa at the Robotex conference in Estonia, and also got to speak on a panel with the famous Japanese investor Taizo Son and Kirsi Ekberg about how to educate and inspire hundreds of thousands more kid entrepreneurs. In Tallinn I also met a great mentor Karoli Hindriks and visited the super snowy Christmas market!