What happens when young people join the conversation on AI and gender?

24 February 2025

SG Her Empowerment (SHE) is an independent platform working toward gender equity in Singapore by initiating impactful dialogues and empowering individuals from different walks of life in Singapore. At their 2025 Annual Symposium, the focus was on Artificial Intelligence, gender norms, and online safety. And this year, two of our young people, Anders and Adnan were in the room.

They joined policymakers, industry leaders, and advocates for a full day of panel discussions, workshops, and performances— all centred on one pressing question: how do we make the digital world safer and fairer for everyone?

What the day looked like

The first panel pulled back the curtain on how misogyny shows up online, and how it doesn't stay there. Experts made the case that cyber-harassment bleeds into real life, and that laws alone can't fix it. Culture has to change too.

A theatrical performance brought the conversation to life, putting AI in the context of gender norms and asking the audience to sit with some uncomfortable questions— particularly around deepfake technology and the ethics of what we share online. From there, participants broke into groups to talk through civil discourse, public education, and how trust gets built (and broken) in digital spaces.

The afternoon shifted into hands-on mode, with workshops led by teams from Google, LinkedIn, Meta, K-ID, Tinder, and SHECARES@SCWO. Topics ranged from digital wellbeing and career opportunities in an AI-shaped workforce, to privacy for young users and staying safe in online dating. Our youth attendees also learned about the Take It Down platform, a one-stop service by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), that helps people under 18 remove nude or sexually explicit images and videos from the internet.

The day closed with a second panel on the gender gap in AI and why it matters that more women are in leadership roles shaping how this technology is built and used.

In their own words

Here's what our young participants took away from the day:

“It was an interesting event where we got to discuss the roots of problems with AI and how they affect gender equality, and possible solutions or measures we could enforce to ensure that the digital world becomes a safer space for all. One of my key takeaways from the second panel was that for progress to occur, we would require help and support from males and females alike. To truly make an impact and bring about change, we need each other. Additionally, it was quite obvious that AI, especially generative AI, requires strict regulations to maintain its proper use. Education was also discussed to be an extremely important factor in changing the online world's behaviour as true change starts from the individual. Everything went well and I found the experience to be very eye-opening. However, I wish that the workshops were more interactive and engaging as it was a one-way sharing.” - Adnan, 14

“The event was a little intimidating at first. With CNA cameras, two ministers and an audience of formally dressed adults, Adnan and I really stood out from the rest of the crowd. However, we slowly warmed up as it was made clear to us that no shame or judgement will be given to anyone's opinion, and everybody has an equally important input. The event was a fun and info filled one with fun interactive sessions of discussion, panel talks, workshops and booths. During the event, I got to make many new friends from a wide range of backgrounds. They provided many different perspectives on the topics discussed. The interactive sessions were the highlight for me where we got to share each other's opinions and work together, as a group, to answer interesting and fun questions. Throughout the day, they made an effort to frame their questions in a fun manner, so it never felt like a chore to answer them. For example, they engaged the audience with a comedic skit while posing live in polls. However, I did feel that the panel discussions (each an hour long) were slightly dry and dense with information. The event was catered to adults – so there weren’t many interactive activities that were more suitable for youths.” - Anders, 16

Why this matters

AI isn't some distant future concern— it's already shaping the world young people are growing up in. That's exactly why their voices need to be part of how we talk about it, design it, and hold it accountable.

Fresh perspectives, honest questions, and a genuine stake in the outcome: young people bring all of that to the table. When we include them in these conversations in meaningful ways, we're not just being considerate, we're building something better.

Themes:

Online Safety