Young Futures Community,
As AI leaders debate whether to slow development to make AI safer, we’ve been thinking about the young people growing up alongside it—both their safety today and their development over the next decade. What are we doing now to protect the experiences and relationships
that help them become confident learners, think for themselves, and build the skills they’ll need throughout their lives?
Making room for a young person to say, “Wait, let me figure it out” is part of that work. So is making sure they have someone to turn to when they get stuck.
Maybe they’re working through a difficult assignment, or they’re explaining why they disagree with a friend and realizing they might need to rethink their stance. Maybe they’re trying something unfamiliar, getting frustrated, and deciding to give it another
go.
Those moments can look small from the outside. But with encouragement, conversation and room to try again, young people are building essential capabilities. They’re practicing judgment. and learning with others.
We’re glad essential conversations about making AI safer are happening. In the meantime, young people need support to learn and grow. Investing in the relationships and opportunities that support their development is what we call
developmental safety. It’s about their well-being today and the skills and confidence they’ll carry into adulthood. That’s the work Young Futures and our partners are taking on together.
Today, we’re opening The Unwritten Challenge, a minimum of $1 million in funding for U.S.-based nonprofits helping young people ages 10 to 19 strengthen learning, critical thinking, and healthy decision-making.
It’s the first of three funding challenges under Groundwork, our $15 million, three-year initiative across the United States and United Kingdom, to strengthen the human foundations young people need to thrive alongside AI.
We’re looking for organizations that are creating room for young people to think independently, equipping educators and trusted adults to guide that growth, and helping the public understand young people’s experiences through research and storytelling.
That work might happen in a classroom, an after-school program, or a conversation between a caregiver and a teen.
A potential grantee’s solution doesn’t have to use AI. It needs to help young people develop these capacities in a world increasingly shaped by it.
At least 10 organizations will receive grants of $50,000 to $100,000, and selected leaders will join the
Young Futures Academy, our five-month accelerator offering coaching, community, and practical support.
Applications close October 16. We’re also hosting an applicant information session on
September 29 at noon PT / 3 p.m. ET.
If this sounds like your work, I hope you’ll apply. And if an organization comes to mind, please send this their way. Some of the most promising approaches may be happening in your community.
Warmly,
Katya Hancock
CEO, Young Futures
Young Futures in the News
Sept 16,
Bukhman Philanthropies, Young Futures and Bukhman Philanthropies announced a £4 million partnership launching Groundwork UK, a multiyear pilot helping young people thrive in an AI-shaped world. The announcement outlines how youth listening and research
will shape an open funding challenge, with participating organisations receiving two-year grants and support through the Young Futures Academy. Featuring perspectives from Daria Bukhman and YF’s CEO and Co-Founder, Katya Hancock, it highlights a shared commitment
to strengthening young people’s agency and wellbeing while supporting the charities closest to their lives.
Sept 16,
LinkedIn Article, YF’s CEO and Co-Founder, Katya Hancock, shares the launch of Groundwork UK with Bukhman Philanthropies, a £4 million, multiyear pilot helping young people thrive in an AI-shaped world. She outlines how research and a Youth Listening
Tour will shape the programme before grantmaking begins, giving young people and the organisations closest to them a meaningful role in defining what support is needed. Participating organisations will receive two-year grants, join the Young Futures Academy
and help translate shared learning into practical resources that strengthen young people’s curiosity, critical thinking, connection and agency. Applications open in spring 2027.
What We’re Reading (& Watching)
Former
Google safety chief warns AI could pose greater risks to children than social media (Reuters, Sept. 22)
What
Would A Child-Free Internet Look Like? (Wired, Sept. 21)
While
NYC and LA Schools Draw a Line on AI, Alabama Has a Plan (The 74, Sept. 21)
How
is the EU improving kids’ safety online? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot (Euronews, Sept. 21)
AI
programs can interfere with key lessons of childhood. Here’s what parents can do (CNN, Sept. 21)
In
Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? (The New York Times Magazine, Sept. 20)
Microsoft
introduces AI guardrails for US schools amid growing backlash (Euronews, Sept. 15)
Master
your classes and prep for what’s next with Student Spaces in Acrobat (Adobe, Sept. 9)
Australians
will be able to switch off social media algorithms under planned legislation (BBC, Sept. 7)
Is
your teen talking to AI about things they won’t tell you? (The National Desk, Sept. 3)
Report
on AI Use in Teaching, Learning, and Research Training (MIT, Aug. 13)
Talking to Teens
What if conversations about screens started with curiosity? In
Raising kids in a digital world with less fear, more strategy, experts at UC Irvine encourage parents to understand what young people actually enjoy and do online before setting rules. Their advice: ask teens to share their interests, involve them
in family tech decisions and model the boundaries you want them to follow. The conversation offers practical ways to move beyond anxiety and build trust, while helping young people develop their own judgment around technology.
Are we counting the wrong thing when it comes to screens? Research highlighted by the
Stanford Center for Digital Health suggests that time spent online alone may not tell us enough about the harms teens experience. Features like infinite scroll and autoplay deserve attention, too. For adults, that opens up a different conversation:
What makes an app hard to put down? How do you feel after using it? Asking teens about those experiences can help us understand where they need support, while keeping responsibility for safer design on the platforms themselves.
Spotlight on Youth Voices
How are young people deciding when to trust AI? Google’s
U.S. Future Report draws on a survey of more than 1,000 teens, alongside focus groups and digital journaling, to explore how they’re navigating these tools. Half of surveyed teens say they consistently evaluate AI-generated content for trustworthiness,
and 55% cross-check facts against trusted sources. Their experiences offer a starting point for conversations about when AI supports their learning and where they need more guidance. They also remind us to ask young people how they’re making these decisions
and give their answers a meaningful role in shaping that support.
Friends of YF
Our friends at the Center for Digital Thriving have launched
WTFAI, a podcast exploring the strange, funny and sometimes unexpectedly tender feelings that come with using AI. Hosts YFI Beck Tench and Dan Be Kim make room for honest conversations about how these tools are changing our relationships with technology
and ourselves, even when we don’t quite have the words for it yet. Start with their conversation with Dylan Humphrey, “The world is our thinking gym,” or tune into the kickoff episode to get acquainted. New episodes arrive every two weeks.
Where do transgender young people find spaces to feel understood? Our friends at Born This Way Foundation explore that question in
How Transgender Youth Seek Support Online, a research report bringing together survey findings and young people’s lived experiences. It highlights how online communities offer space to explore identity, find affirmation, and support one another. For
trusted adults, it’s also an invitation to consider what young people find in those spaces and how we can build that same sense of safety and belonging in person.
Upcoming Events
All
Tech Is Human is hosting the
Responsible Tech Summit: Embedding Accountability in the AI Era on October 29 at the New York Times Center in Manhattan. It brings together people across tech, policy, and youth advocacy to work on building safer digital spaces.