China Focus: Global youth pools wisdom for digital development

CHONGQING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- In an era that has seen digitalization advance at an unprecedented pace, young people are facing both opportunities and challenges, and collective efforts are needed to create a bright future, participants in a forum on digital development have said.

The thematic Forum for Digital Development of the 2024 World Youth Development Forum was held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday.

The digital development forum gathered over 230 government officials, heads of international organizations and youth representatives from across the globe to discuss digital development, skills and industries in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Addressing the forum, Shapkat Wushur, vice president of the All-China Youth Federation, emphasized that despite the fact that each country is following its own path to digital development, young people are always the driving force behind this progress.

He called on young people around the world to engage actively in the digital economy and digital transformation efforts, encouraging them to harness digital technology to empower youth development, and to lead global progress through digital innovation.

He said that young people are living in an age of digitization, information technology and the internet. China attaches great importance to digital technology and the development of the digital economy, which provides new opportunities for youth in the country and around the world, he added.

Highlighting China's notable efforts during this development process, vice minister of industry and information technology Wang Jiangping said that the country has established the technologically advanced world's largest network infrastructure, with its computing power infrastructure reaching a globally leading level.

"This robust foundation is a strong support for the utilization and flow of data resources, providing a solid base for young people to integrate into and thrive in the digital age," Wang said.

Forum participants also noted the challenges posed by the digital era, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to help young people overcome these obstacles.

"The expected impact of the increased use of AI and related technologies in various sectors of the economy will be the loss of existing jobs, especially as more advanced technologies replace traditional skills and expertise," Vladimir Norov, chairman of the Central Asian Association of Artificial Intelligence, said in a speech at the event.

"But the truth is that AI is not a job killer, but a job creator. With the invention of cars, we had drivers; with the invention of airplanes, we had pilots," he said.

Norov stressed the importance of further investment in education and training programs that would give people the skills they need to thrive in a technology-driven world. "By acquiring the right skills and adapting our industries, we can harness the power of technologies to create a more prosperous and equitable future for all."

To make decent, quality jobs more accessible to young people in the new era, all parties involved should step up their skill development, job creation, and protection of the rights and interests of young people, Mia Seppo, the International Labour Organization's assistant director general for jobs and social protection, said in a live video speech.

Young entrepreneurs from China, Hungary, Montenegro and other countries also shared their experience in exploring fields such as sustainable development and virtual reality, and engaged in in-depth discussions on topics related to the intelligence industry.

From Wednesday to Friday, a group of about 40 forum participants explored key sites in Chongqing that are representative of the city's digitalization and intelligent transformation trends.

"The robots here are working so fast and smoothly -- automatically -- which really surprises me," said Kristian Kalinak, a machine learning engineer of Versiro. "The large-scale and all-front applications of digitalization, automation and AI are impressive. China has adapted these technologies to the production environment and other real scenarios."

Dejan Ilioski, CEO of the European Youth Association, believes that the bonds formed during these exchanges will empower youth. When young people get together, they are stronger and can work for a brighter future, he said.