Alice Paola Pomè, SI Next Generation Representative for 2026–2027, reports from the AI for Good Global Summit as she attends the session “Born after 2010: Expanding Opportunities in the AI Era,” featuring Kashish Jain, Co‑founder of Talent X.
Kashish, a 16-year-old student from India, took the stage to share Generation Alpha’s perspective on growing up in a world shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Her reflections offered a powerful reminder that AI is not simply a technology for the next generation, but it is the environment in which they are growing up.
What happened in 2010? Generation Alpha was born. These kids have never experienced the emergence of social media. For them, Instagram has always existed as a space to connect with friends and share moments of their lives. They have never heard a modem connecting to the internet or witnessed “send a trill” to your friends when they weren’t answering your Hotmail message. Laptops have not been a great innovation; and tablets have always been part of everyday life. More importantly, they are not only digital natives, they are the first generation of AI natives.
Today, around 2.2 billion children belong to Generation Alpha. Yet this generation is growing up in a world marked by profound inequalities. While some have access to advanced digital technologies from an early age, others still lack something as fundamental as a reliable internet connection. Beyond unequal access, they face another challenge: learning to distinguish between what is real and what is artificially generated. As AI becomes increasingly capable of recreating images, voices, and even human interactions, navigating this blurred boundary may become one of the defining skills of their generation.
Kashish Jain, Cofounder of Talent X, speaking at the #AIforGood Global Summit
Listening to Kashish speak at an international conference made me reflect on the dual nature of technology. On one hand, it enables remarkable flexibility. As a Millennial, I can attend a conference while replying to emails and joining meetings with colleagues across different time zones. On the other hand, this speed and flexibility come with significant challenges. Once again, technological progress risks widening existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and those already living on the margins of society.
This is why we must continue advocating for both digital innovation and digital inclusion. Building the infrastructure that enables universal access to digital technologies is essential, but it is equally important to ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed equitably. Innovation should reduce inequalities, not deepen them.
Kashish’s words also prompted a deeper reflection on the essence of being human.
“But despite how AI native we are, one thing that is still true is that we’re still extremely confused about AI.” […] “We have started to live in a trust crisis every single day. We ask one question: Is this real?” […] “I read what my teacher wrote about me in the report card, three long paragraphs about how I am a brilliant star. I have created a profound impact in this class, and I am an asset to every individual. While these extravagant words felt really good to hear, they made me wonder: Is this really my teacher, or is this ChatGPT? This is the power of AI. Even genuine human appreciation or thought begins to seem artificial to us, and somewhere in our minds we value what’s written by humans more than what’s written by AI.”
Her speech captures one of the most profound consequences of AI: not only does it change how we create content, but it also changes how we perceive authenticity. When AI can generate words that sound deeply personal, even genuine human appreciation may begin to feel artificial. Trust itself becomes more fragile.
This raises fundamental questions. Is AI simply a tool, or is it becoming something more? Like every revolution, AI brings both extraordinary opportunities and significant risks. Our challenge is not to resist this transformation but to govern it responsibly. We must acknowledge the risks while developing the skills and policies needed to mitigate them.
Perhaps the greatest challenge is learning to distinguish authenticity from fabrication and reality from simulation. We are entering a future where the physical and virtual worlds are increasingly intertwined. In this context, creating spaces where digital technologies enhance, rather than replace, human relationships, creativity, and our connection with nature is not merely desirable; it is a responsibility we owe to future generations.
This is the sustainable development we should strive for: one that uses technology to create rather than destroy, to connect rather than divide, and to build more equitable societies where innovation serves people, not the other way around.
