On 21 July 2026, Restless Development, in partnership with the University of Cambridge and Makerere University, launched the Youth AI Survey 2026: Work, Study & Leisure in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

The webinar brought together 134 participants from 366 registrations, representing funders, technology companies, academia, civil society, policymakers, and youth organisations from around the world. The event shared new evidence from 1,864 young people across more than 65 countries, highlighting how young people are using AI, the opportunities it presents, the barriers they face, and their aspirations for the future of AI. The survey drew strong participation from Africa, Asia, and the United Kingdom and focused on how AI is shaping young people’s learning, work, and everyday lives. 

The webinar aimed to:

• Launch the findings of the Youth AI Survey 2026 and amplify the voices of young people, particularly from the Global South.
• Share evidence to inform policy, programming, and investment in AI for inclusive development.
• Convene researchers, practitioners, funders, policymakers, and young people to discuss the future of AI.
• Close the feedback loop with survey participants by showing how their contributions have shaped the research and wider conversations on AI.
  

Key research findings

Together, Restless Development, the University of Cambridge, and Makerere University presented spotlight findings from the Youth AI Survey. 

• 64.4% of respondents reported using AI daily.
• The most common use was learning new skills and academic support.
• High data costs emerged as the biggest barrier across many countries.
• Young women reported lower confidence in their AI knowledge and greater safety concerns.
• Young people were optimistic about AI’s potential for education and employment, but more concerned about its impact on online safety and misinformation.
• The strongest demand from respondents was for better governance, privacy protection, and stronger regulation, rather than simply restricting access to AI.

From Research to Action

Following the presentation of the findings, an expert panel explored how different stakeholders can act on the evidence to ensure AI is inclusive, equitable, and shaped by young people.

1. Youth AI Perspective

Joseph Liban, Software Engineer, Youth Voices Lab (Kenya).

Joseph reflected on what resonated most from the findings, what surprised him, and how the research reinforced the importance of ensuring AI supports young people’s learning, livelihoods, and leadership.

Key reflections

• Young people’s enthusiasm for using AI as a tool for self-directed learning stood out most.
• Despite high optimism in many Global South countries, high data costs continue to exclude millions from fully benefiting from AI.
• AI is widely used for learning, but far fewer young people are using it to generate income or grow businesses.
• The UK presents a different challenge—not access, but trust—with young people expressing greater concern about ethics and governance.
• Governments should reduce the cost of internet and data for educational use, technology companies should involve young people in AI development, and youth organisations should strengthen AI literacy beyond basic digital skills.

AI is not an equaliser; it’s an inequality magnifier when access barriers persist.

Joseph Liban, Software Engineer, Youth Voices Lab (Kenya).

2. Youth Tech & Digital Policy Perspective

Titiksha Vashist, Co-Founder and Lead Researcher at The Pranava Institute and Co-Lead at the Youth Digital Cultures Lab (India).

Titiksha discussed how technology companies, funders, and decision-makers can move beyond consultation and meaningfully involve young people in AI design, governance, policy, and regulation.

Design is trust, young people should not be invited into a separate conversation- they should be helping shape the conversation itself.

Titiksha Vashist, Co-Founder and Lead Researcher at The Pranava Institute and Co-Lead at the Youth Digital Cultures Lab (India).

Key reflections

• Young people should help design AI systems—not just respond to policies after decisions have already been made.
• AI design and trust are inseparable; involving young people from the outset leads to more trustworthy technologies.
• Too often, youth engagement is symbolic rather than influential.
• Funders should invest in youth-led partnerships that build young people’s capacity to influence policy.
• Policymakers should expand opportunities for young people to shape AI governance instead of defaulting to restrictive approaches.

3. Technology Company Perspective

Lindsay Madejski, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager (AI Child Safety), Google (USA).

Lindsay shared how technology companies can create genuine opportunities for young people to shape the design, development, and deployment of AI tools, drawing on Google’s experience of engaging young users.

Key reflections

• Google regularly involves young people through user research, advisory panels, and product testing.
• Feedback from young users directly informs improvements to AI products, including Gemini.
• Young people can contribute through internships, boot camps, and technology programmes that build skills and influence future products.
• Responsible AI requires continuous engagement with young people, not one-off consultations.

Young people’s perspectives are essential for building safer and more effective AI experiences.

Lindsay Madejski, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager (AI Child Safety), Google (USA).

4. Funding Partner Perspective

Fiona Smith – Digital Lead, Fondation Botnar, Switzerland

Fiona explored where future investments should be directed to ensure AI contributes to equitable development outcomes, highlighting the importance of youth agency, responsible innovation, and locally led partnerships.

Key reflections

• Investment should strengthen governance systems that protect young people’s rights.
• Funders should support locally led partnerships that expand opportunity while reducing digital risks.
• Building AI literacy and responsible innovation should go hand in hand with stronger data protection.
• Evidence generated by young people is critical for informing funding decisions and ensuring investments respond to lived realities.

Evidence like this survey is invaluable for grounding philanthropy decisions in the lived experiences of young people.

Fiona Smith, Digital Lead, Fondation Botnar (Switzerland).

Looking Ahead

The webinar marked the beginning of a wider programme of engagement around the Youth AI Survey 2026. Findings will continue to be shared with policymakers, funders, technology companies, and youth organisations to support evidence-informed decision-making and youth-centred AI governance.

The research partnership will also explore opportunities to expand the survey through a second wave of research with more countries, variables, and stakeholders, helping track how AI is evolving and how its impacts on young people are changing over time.

Speakers

Ahmed Atunde (Moderator, Youth Voices Lab Researcher)

Maria Malomalo (Senior Research Manager, Restless Development)

Anna Barford (Research Professor, University of Cambridge)

Anthony Mugeere (Head, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, Makerere University)

Joseph Liban (Software Engineer, Youth Voices Lab)

Titiksha Vashist (Co-founder and Lead researcher, The Pranava Institute and Youth Digital Cultures Lab)

Lindsay Madejski (Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager – AI Child Safety, Google)

Fiona Smith (Digital Lead, Fondation Botnar)