Youth-Led Open Source AI for Sustainable Futures: Bridging Developed and Developing Countries

As artificial intelligence becomes a defining force in shaping economies, governance, and development pathways, disparities between developed and developing countries risk deepening. While advanced economies rapidly adopt and deploy AI systems, many regions face limited access to infrastructure, data, technical expertise, and inclusive innovation ecosystems. This growing divide threatens to reinforce existing inequalities, particularly in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

At the same time, open source AI presents a unique opportunity to democratize access to technology, foster collaboration across borders, and enable locally adapted solutions. Youth, especially in emerging economies, are increasingly engaging with open source platforms to build, adapt, and deploy technologies that respond directly to community needs. However, their role remains underutilized in global AI governance and innovation ecosystems, where participation is often symbolic rather than structural.

This meeting aims to bridge these gaps by exploring how youth-led, open source AI can serve as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development. By connecting stakeholders across developed and developing contexts, the meeting seeks to ensure that AI innovation is not only globally distributed, but locally relevant, equitable, and aligned with long-term sustainability goals.

Partners: SDG Youth Connect, UN Youth Office

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