The Next Generation of Alignment: AI and Youth Futures Action Week

For the past six months, Encode Africa has hosted monthly Action Weeks designed to help the African diaspora build a steady footprint for future work in AI Safety and related fields. As we step into the second half of 2026, we are pivoting to a critical, forward-looking conversation: how young people in Africa feel AI will determine their futures.

A Summit-Style Dialogue

To properly address these high-leverage questions, our July programming will take the form of a summit-style Action Week. This special edition features panels of young people from the African diaspora discussing the core theme of "AI and Youth Futures".

Tailored largely for young undergraduates across the continent, this week is designed to bridge the gap between emerging technology and the next generation of technical leaders. We are working to present you with an incredible lineup of speakers doing great work in AI and related fields.

Shaping the Long-Term Trajectory

If we want to ensure that transformative technology serves humanity, the dialogue must include those who will inherit its consequences. The panels and keynote sessions will tackle the most pressing intersections of AI and long-term planning, focusing strictly on essential details. Topics will include:

• The long-term future of AI and its structural impact on work in Africa.
• Actionable insights from African students who are currently leading communities focused on AI and related technical fields.
• How Africans are practically building tools with AI to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Critical, youth-driven perspectives on macro-level policy frameworks, including the AU 2063 agenda and the Smart Africa project.
• Substantive discussions regarding exactly what young people want to see changing in Africa’s AI space.

Take Action

Building a safe digital future requires moving beyond observation and actively participating in the foundational discussions of our time. We invite you to join this pivotal dialogue and help shape the trajectory of AI on the continent.

Registration: RSVP for the Action Week on Luma
Learn More: Explore the Youth Futures Initiative