How can we empower children, tomorrow’s citizens, to flourish in the age of AI? On Friday, June 20, The Lyceum Project 2025, themed “Children in the Age of AI,” brought together a diverse community of distinguished thinkers, practitioners, policymakers, artists, and citizens at the Athens Conservatoire and the archaeological site of Aristotle’s Lyceum. The goal of this year’s gathering was to reflect and debate on what it means to be a child in the age of AI.
The full collection of panel discussions and keynote speeches from The Lyceum Project 2025 is available on the links below.
Children in the Age of AI – Welcome
The opening speech by Alexandra Mitsotaki, President & co-founder of the World Human Forum and George Nounesis.
Giving Children Back Their Childhood | K. Mitsotakis & B. Kidron
In this powerful opening dialogue of The Lyceum Project 2025, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Baroness Beeban Kidron reflect on childhood, safety, and digital well-being in the age of AI. Moderated by Dr Ing Konstantinos Karachalios, this session explores how wisdom, ethics, and policy can guide technology for the benefit of future generations.
Kids & AI: Empowering the new generation
Ms Eugenia Bozou, Head of Government Relations and Public Policy at Google for Greece, Cyprus, and Malta, delivers a keynote address about empowering the new generation through AI. As she noted, “AI is not magic. It brings challenges, but if we face them responsibly, we have a unique opportunity to create something extraordinary.”
The “AI Governance Panel” explored how regulation, ethical foresight, and legal responsibility must evolve to protect children in the age of AI. The panel participants were Prof Wayne Holmes (UCL), Mr Juraj Čorba (Ministry of Informatisation, Slovakia), Mr Alpesh Shah (IEEE Standards Association), and Prof Lilian Mitrou (University of the Aegean).
AI Education and training: Empowering the Future Generations
Ms Tanya Perelmuter (Co-founder & Director of Strategy of Fondation Abeona) engaged in a conversation with Dr Lida Arnellou (NCSR “Demokritos”) on the importance of citizen education about AI, with particular emphasis on the role and participation of young women.
Growing up in a world with AI | AI and Education Panel
The “AI and Education” panel featured Prof. Zoe Gavriilidou (Democritus Univ. of Thrace), Asst Prof Spyridon Doukakis (Ionian Univ., President of the Institute of Educational Policy), Dr Giorgos Kosteletos (NKUA), Mr Christos Skarkos (Principal of the Vivlos Primary School in Naxos), and Prof Despina Karakatsani (Univ. of the Peloponnese). The discussion focused on the role of AI as a supportive tool in teaching and learning, as well as the need for education to adapt in ways that truly empower children. “In an era when technology is changing everything, we need to bring back interdisciplinarity and the connection of school subjects with everyday life”, according to Asst Prof Doukakis.
What is the role of education in the era of anthropomorphic AI?
Prof Panagiotis Pantazakos (NKUA) opens the evening program with a keynote speech on the role of education in the era of anthropomorphic AI, which imitates human traits, behaviours, and forms of interaction.
Age-Appropriate AI Design Panel
Asst Prof David Bickham (Boston Children’s Hospital), Dr Jun Zhao (Univ. of Oxford), Dr Sergio Imparato (Harvard Univ.), Ms Liz Thomas (Microsoft), and Dr Mhairi Aitken (The Alan Turing Institute) discuss how AI can be developed to meet the needs of children and their caregivers. They also emphasise the importance of strong interaction between research and innovation. As Dr Zhao noted, “We want to put children at the centre of the design process, to listen to their voices, to respect their needs”.
Concluding Philosophical Reflections about Children and AI
Prof John Tasioulas (Director, Institute for Ethics in AI, Univ. of Oxford) and Prof Spyridon Rangos (Univ. of Patras), in a discussion moderated by Dr Maria Dagioglou (NCSR “Demokritos”), examined key philosophical questions about the role of AI in childhood. Prof Tasioulas pointed out that digital systems built to flatter and mirror our preferences risk displacing the challenges and personal growth that arise through genuine human relationships.
Closing Remarks and Next Steps of The Lyceum Project 2025
Prof. Anastasia Giannakidou, Frank J. McLoraine Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago, offers a synthesis of the key insights and themes that emerged throughout the Lyceum Project 2025 sessions.
Reawakening the Lyceum: From Aristotle to the Future
At the end of the event, Ms Antoinette Nassopoulos-Erickson, architect and Senior Partner at Foster + Partners, Ms Alexandra Mitsotaki, President & Co-founder of the World Human Forum, and Dr Vangelis Karkaletsis, Director of the IIT at NCSR “Demokritos”, announced the creation of a new Philosophy Hub at the archaeological site of Aristotle’s Lyceum. This initiative represents an inspired partnership between NCSR “Demokritos”, the World Human Forum, and the architectural firm Foster + Partners, with support from the Region of Attica and the Ministry of Culture.