London, UK – 2 June 2025 – Teens in AI, a social impact-driven initiative that inspires young people to explore futures in responsible tech and AI through collaborative, hands-on learning, is proud to announce the return of its global AI4Good Incubator, taking place from 28 July to 1 August 2025. Teens in AI believes in harnessing technology to create a fair world where everyone has equal opportunity to maximise their potential.
Now in its fourth year, the AI4Good Incubator is a 5-day global virtual bootcamp for teens aged 12–18 work in teams to develop ethical, AI-driven solutions to some of the world’s most pressing climate-related challenges taking inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the support of Platinum Partner Sage, the programme equips young people with the tools, mentorship and inspiration they need to become change-makers in their communities.
Open to all – regardless of prior experience or background – it brings together young minds passionate about technology, equity and impact. Participants join from around the world, working in diverse teams and receiving guidance from leading industry experts. As part of our bold strategy to scale the AI4Good Incubator, 2025 marks two major milestones: our first in-person programme in South Africa – led by our IWD Global Techathon 2025 Community Award winners – and a wider focus on tackling even more UN SDGs.
Last year, 58% of participants identified as female or non-binary, and 75% came from diverse ethnic backgrounds*. With Sage, Teens in AI champions diversity as key to building better solutions and shaping a tech future that works for everyone.
This year’s theme, “Planet in Balance ~ Land, Sea and Sky”, focuses on United Nations SDGs 13, 14 and 15. These include: taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (13); conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources (14); and protecting and restoring ecosystems on land, halting biodiversity loss and managing forests and land sustainably (15).
Elena Sinel, Founder and CEO of Teens in AI comments: “Young people are not waiting to be told how to solve the climate crisis – they’re stepping up and building the solutions themselves. Through the AI4Good Incubator, we’re giving them the knowledge, support and platform to apply ethical AI to the most urgent challenges facing our planet. The future is not only theirs to inherit – it’s theirs to shape.”
The 2024 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report** paints a stark picture. Just 15% of climate-related targets are on track. Ocean acidification is worsening, jeopardising marine biodiversity and food security. Land degradation affects over 3.2 billion people, and more than one million species remain at risk of extinction. These cascading crises call for bold, youth-led innovation—the kind the AI4Good Incubator is designed to unlock.
Over the five-day programme, participants will ideate, build and refine their projects with the guidance of expert mentors. At the end of the week, teams will pitch to senior leaders for feedback and a chance to win prizes. Previous winners went on to submit their projects to Oxford-Said Climate Challenge and were flown to Dubai to compete live!
In the words of one of last year’s alumni, “It was a whole new world to me! I was expecting excellent work, good interaction and participation with my team, and [the experience] exceeded my expectations. Every lesson was educational and interesting. It was interesting to find solutions for the problems caused by humans and how we can use AI to solve them. It was amazing!” – Joy, age 15, from Ghana.
AI4Good Incubator
The AI4Good Incubator is a global 5-day virtual bootcamp style programme where teens aged 12-18 work in teams to build a tech-based project, inspired by a climate-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goal.
The Summer programme runs for five full days, from 9am to 5pm BST. Due to the exclusive nature of the event, there is a fee for participants, however, Teens in AI does offer Grants to eligible students. If you’re interested in learning more about the AI4Good Incubator, visit our website:
Notes:
* Diverse ethnic backgrounds = Black/African American, Hispanic, Latino/Spanish, Middle Eastern/North African and Asian; the balance includes ‘Other Ethnic Background’ not stated, ‘Prefer Not To Say’, and White/Caucasian.
** United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2024 Report: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2024/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2024.pdf
- This comprehensive report provides the latest global data and analysis on progress toward the 2030 Agenda, including detailed insights into climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), and life on land (SDG 15). It highlights that only 17% of SDG targets are currently on track, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate progress, and over one-third having stalled or regressed.
About Teens in AI
Launched in 2018 at the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit, Teens in AI is a social impact-driven initiative that inspires teens to explore a future in tech and AI through collaborative, hands-on learning experiences. Since its inception, Teens in AI has been instrumental in guiding over 20,500+ young minds across 97 countries, leading initiatives that resonate with UN Sustainable Development Goals. It provides teens, aged 12 to 18, the platform and knowledge to create AI solutions with societal benefit at their core. They believe in harnessing technology to create a fair world where everyone has equal opportunity to maximise their potential. By encouraging diverse perspectives, Teens in AI acts as a catalyst for change, inspiring the next generation of responsible leaders, innovators, and technologists from all walks of life to shape the world of tomorrow.
For more information please contact:
Media enquiries: Bev Chislett, Head of Marketing, Teens in AI bev.chislett@teensinai.com
