2025 EU-US Young Leaders Seminar

Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Challenges and the Path Forward

BRUSSELS, Belgium – From May 12-14, the eighth edition of the EU-US Young Leaders Seminar (YLS) gathered 50 beneficiaries of EU and U.S. funded education exchange programs for three days of panels, expert conversations, and peer discussions on the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

YLS is an initiative co-funded by the European Union and the United States, designed to strengthen the bond between young leaders from both sides of the Atlantic and promote collaboration on shared research interests. The leaders represent a wide range of academic backgrounds and interests related to AI- including engineering, data science, health, business, law and more. 

As AI technologies and their applications proliferate, the seminar’s theme is timely. Opening speakers included EU and U.S. officials from the EU’s Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the U.S. Mission to the European Union. The discussions began with a scene setter introduction from Dr. Pamela Park, visiting senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund to the U.S. (GMF).

Justin Reynolds, Director for Tech Policy, Department of State’s Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, joined Dr. Sergey Lagodinsky, Member of the European Parliament, to discuss differing approaches to AI governance.

The use of AI and its implications for education, skills and the labour market were explored in two panels of researchers and practitioners. The education panel featured Jude Cosgrove (EU Joint Research Centre), Michael Hörig (German Academic Exchange Service) and Erin Green (Thomas More University of Applied Science). The panel on AI’s impact on labor markets included Caroline Cullière (Gifftid), Margarita Kalamova (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) and Davide Monaco (Centre for European Policy Studies). Panellists shared their work and reflections on both the benefits and risks of AI, along with strategies to mitigate its downsides.

A visit from Alexander De Croo, former Belgian Prime Minister and current mayor of Brakel, offered a dynamic conversation on leadership skills and personal experiences. The first day concluded with a reception at the residence of the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the European Union, hosted by Norman Thatcher Scharpf with a Louisiana-themed menu.

The second day focused on the application of AI in defence, healthcare and disaster management, with a panel including Dr Megan Edwards (NATO), Dr. Karim Lekadir (the University of Barcelona), and Dr. Ivanke Pelivan (the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications). The final panel addressed good governance and ways to reduce AI-related risks, bringing together Lydia El-Khouri (Textgain), Bret Schafer (Senior Fellow at GMF) and Luís Viegas Cardoso (Member of President Von der Leyen’s Competitiveness Task Force).

The seminar concluded with a training simulation exploring how AI could be used to disrupt an election. Facilitated by Bret Schafer, participants were challenged to strategize and communicate under pressure in a fast-paced, and evolving scenario. 

The Seminar received outstanding feedback and praise from participants and speakers alike. As one of them said: If you ever wished you could get a large, diverse group of people to talk and think deeply about an issue, then the YLS is the place to do it! You won’t find a more excited group of young people eager to engage with the difficult problems of our time.

For more information about the project, click here!