AI & Youth project kick-off The “Empowering youth voices: Harnessing AI to Strengthen Youth Engagement” project kick-off meeting took place from 4th-7th November 2025 in Antwerp, Belgium. With recent advancements in AI technology, this project seeks to investigate and experiment on how AI can be used to address the unique needs and challenges of youth participation. By mapping current AI-driven practices, identifying underexplored opportunities, and prototyping three AI-enhanced tools, the project will create relevant insight and tested open-source prototypes in order to explore the possibilities of AI for digital youth work. The main elements of this 2-year cooperation partnership project are: Mapping current AI applications in digital youth work and participation processes used across Europe Designing and prototyping three innovative digital tools aimed at enhancing youth engagement through AI Capacity building of youth workers and young people on how to apply AI in youth participation processes through an international training Testing the 3 tools in municipalities in Belgium, Finland, and Portugal The project is coordinated by Tree company in cooperation with DYPALL Network and Finnish Youth Research Society, funded by Erasmus+ KA2 programme through JINT (Belgian/Flemish National Agency). The project is implemented within DYPALL Network’s “Innovating democracies” programme area, under the programme 4.1. Digital youth participation.