Artificial intelligence from the point of view of young people. They discussed how AI will change Wroclaw

Monday's seminar was another event addressing the development of artificial intelligence. This time the meeting focused on the perspective of young people in the perception of AI, their reflections will be useful in working on the new strategy of Wroclaw and its future. The participants of the event were students of Wroclaw high schools and students of Coventry University Wroclaw from different parts of the world.

An opportunity to ask young people what is important to them

According to Marzena Horak, director of the City Strategy Office of the Wroclaw City Hall, this is the third opportunity to ask young city residents what is important to them. The main topic of discussion and workshop was artificial intelligence, which is already stirring up a lot of emotions.

We wanted to ask young residents of Wroclaw what they think about artificial intelligence and how it will change our lives and the image of our city in 20, 30 years. This is a very important element that we want to use in the work on the new development strategy Wroclaw 2050.

Marzena Horak

Nearly 11 percent of young people do not know what AI is

In late September and early October, the City Strategy Office conducted a survey among young people aged 15 to 22 about artificial intelligence and its impact on their lives. During Monday's meeting, its results were presented. It turned out that according to the majority of those surveyed, artificial intelligence has no impact on their lives (46.6 percent) or they don't really know what it is (10.6 percent).

On the other hand, when asked if artificial intelligence could replace a teacher, 43.3 percent of people answered that it could. However, a large proportion of young people cannot imagine such a situation. On the other hand, when young people were asked to list the areas in which AI could be useful in Wroclaw, as many as 67 percent pointed to transportation and infrastructure, 66 percent to digital security, while about 60 percent to education and science. Other categories, such as space, environmental protection, social welfare and public safety were typed less frequently.

AI development hints at education

The meeting also included a special workshop for young people, where they learned how to use AI capabilities to solve problems, using the example of 4 characters created - potential residents of Wroclaw in 2050, living in alternative scenarios of the city's development.

This workshop gave me a chance to look at AI as something that is already there, but in fact we will only be able to explore its spectrum in the future. We're about to choose our majors, so it's also a hint of how best to educate ourselves. Because artificial intelligence can change the job market by 180 percent, it's very important for the young people here, who are involved.

Wiktoria Hnat, student of High School No. XVI in Wroclaw

This workshop allowed us to learn how to use AI for the benefit of people. Among other things, we learned what to avoid in order not to be exploited by big corporations or bad politicians, as well as how to make the best use of these opportunities.

Mikolaj Gugala, student at Coventry University Wroclaw

New technologies are most often used by young people

According to Prof. Tomasz Kajdanowicz of the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Wroclaw University of Technology, modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, are much better known to young people, because they use them more often than people older than them.

The workshops held here are needed to listen to what young people use them for, how they see the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on humans. We want to learn this from young people so that they can take the right steps in planning the future that will affect them.

Prof. Tomasz Kajdanowicz

Important issues concerning technology and humans

According to Jakub Mazur, Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw, talks about artificial intelligence have been going on in the city consistently since 2019, a time when it was not yet fashionable.

Today's workshop is a meeting with young people whose visions for Wroclaw 2050 using artificial intelligence are meant to show how we can work further. We are talking about our city in 5 years, but also in 25 years. As usual, this is an invaluable voice. I'm glad we have an international company here, where we address important issues about technology and humans, and how they can work together for the benefit of people.

Jakub Mazur

The seminar "Artificial intelligence for the development of cities and metropolitan areas - a youth perspective" was part of a series of meetings devoted to the development of artificial intelligence, organized by the Office of the City Strategy of Wroclaw City Hall. Partners of the event were the Wroclaw Social Development Center, Wroclaw Academic Center, the Office of International Cooperation, Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, Smart City Department of the City Promotion Department, Coventry University Wroclaw and Wroclaw University of Technology. PwC was the content partner.