Opportunity for Young People to Participate in a WHO International Program on Artificial Intelligence in 2026

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe invites participants to join a knowledge community on social media, artificial intelligence and youth mental health. This eight-week community is open to all interested people, with particular encouragement for those aged 18 to 30, parents and caregivers, health professionals, policy-makers, educators, researchers and industry representatives. The deadline to submit an expression of interest is 2 December 2026.

About the WHO Europe Youth Mental Health Knowledge Community

The community will examine how digital spaces, including social media and generative AI platforms, could better protect young people’s mental health. Knowledge communities are informal, time-bound forums that bring multidisciplinary expertise together to analyse complex issues in the WHO European Region. Participants share experience, engage in dialogue and reflect collectively on possible solutions.

The work will begin with a preferred vision of 2035: a future in which recommendations from previous work on the digital determinants of youth mental health and well-being have been successfully implemented. Participants will then work backwards from that future to identify the conditions needed, as well as barriers, risks and near-term actions that could help move toward it.

Discussion will consider what WHO could do in the near term to support safer digital environments for young people. Participants will also examine what might help or hinder the implementation of proposed actions across different country, community, health-system, education and digital-governance contexts. Another focus is the role of the health and education sectors, policy-makers, technology and AI actors, parents and caregivers, and youth organizations in putting those actions into practice.

The eight-week programme will alternate between thematic forum discussions and webinars. These sessions will be facilitated by young people from WHO/Europe’s Youth4Health network together with WHO/Europe staff. The announcement does not specify a physical venue or a particular country for participation.

The initiative supports the Second European Programme of Work 2026–2030, the Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region 2023–2030, and the Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Well-being in the WHO European Region 2026–2030. It will also be guided by the upcoming WHO European Framework for Action on Mental Health 2027–2037 and the Roadmap for Action on Artificial Intelligence in Health in the WHO European Region 2026–2033. Interested readers can browse other diverse opportunities for youth and explore additional opportunities for young people.

Who Should Apply

The community is suitable for anyone interested in the relationship between digital environments and young people’s mental health. WHO/Europe particularly encourages young people aged 18 to 30, while also welcoming perspectives from caregivers, health and education professionals, policy-makers, technology and industry representatives, educators, researchers and youth organizations. Its multidisciplinary format is intended to bring together different experiences and viewpoints rather than focus on one professional group.

Key Highlights

• Focus: social media, generative AI and youth mental health.
• Duration: eight weeks of thematic forums and webinars.
• Facilitation: young people from the Youth4Health network and WHO/Europe staff.
• Participation: open to all interested parties, with particular encouragement for people aged 18 to 30 and relevant stakeholder groups.
• Expression of interest deadline: 2 December 2026.