In a bid to celebrate youth intellect and innovation, the 5th Annual TeensThink International Essay Competition has championed the voices of African teenagers, empowering them to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and humanity.

Under the 2025 theme, “Humanity and Artificial Intelligence: How Can a Blend of the Two Make the World a Better Place, A Teen’s Perspective”, over 100 young intellectuals from Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, and Cameroon submitted essays examining how technology can be harnessed to uplift rather than overshadow human values.

From this pool, 16 finalists emerged through a selection process overseen by teachers, scholars, and educational consultants. Essays were evaluated on originality, clarity, relevance, depth, and creativity, with the top three earning distinguished honours.

Opabiyi Josephine, from Federal College of Education Abeokuta, Model Secondary School, won th competition with 82 points, Eniola Kananfo of Ota Total Academy, Ota came second with 81 points and Oghenerugba Akpabor-Okoro from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu was third with 80 points.

The winners received laptops, books, cash prizes, and other educational resources, with their essays set to be published across notable platforms to inspire conversations on ethics and innovation in AI.

Representing Founder, TeensThink, Kehinde Olesin; David Olesin, emphasised the initiative’s long-term goal of preparing teenagers for leadership in a fast-evolving world.

A highlight of the event was the official unveiling of QuestAIKids, a new free AI learning platform designed for children across Africa. Launched by keynote speaker, AI expert and CEO of Cihan Media Communications, Dr. Celestine Achi, the platform aims to provide inclusive, premium-level AI education at zero cost.

“The people who change the world are the ones who dare to ask. Africa’s youth must seize the opportunity to shape the continent’s future with daring ideas powered by empathy and intelligence,” Dr. Achi said.

Step into the future of creativity at the Abu Dhabi Culture Summit 2025. This video explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping cultural preservation, creation, and access. Featuring HE Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi on the UAE’s cultural AI strategy, Tracy Chan (Splash) on Gen Z’s role in co-creating culture, and Iyad Rahwan on the rise of “machine culture” and the ethics of AI for global inclusion.

Discover how India is leveraging AI to preserve its heritage and foster its creative economy. The session underscores a shared vision for a “co-human” future — where technology enhances, rather than replaces, human values and cultural expression.

In answer to a future that will increasingly be shaped by AI, Olin College is incorporating AI and ethics concepts into multiple courses and disciplines for today’s engineering students. By preparing tomorrow’s leading engineers to develop confident, competent perspectives on how to use AI, students will be prepared to make ethical decisions throughout their careers.

For example, in its ‘Artificial Intelligence and Society’ class, students examine the impact of engineering on humanity and the ethical implications through multiple perspectives, including anthropology and computer science.

Each week, Olin students examine different topics, from bias in large language models like ChatGPT to parallels between perspectives on AI today and the 19th-century Luddite movement of English textile workers who opposed the use of cost-saving machinery. They also hear from healthcare and climate researchers who discuss the benefits of AI in their fields, such as using machine learning to identify inequities in the healthcare system or to improve renewable energy storage.

For their final project, students work in groups to design AI ethics content that can be incorporated into existing Olin courses. Together, students and faculty design problems for future engineering students to dissect, such as the ethical question of when to use AI tools in real-life scenarios.

Through pioneering this curriculum, the next generation of Olin engineers are equipped with excellent technical skills that complement their desire to change the world and the ability to adapt to a rapidly-changing society.

Founded just twenty-five years ago, Olin College of Engineering has made a name for itself in the world of undergraduate engineering education. It is currently ranked No. 2 Undergraduate Engineering Program by US News & World Report. Olin was the first undergraduate engineering school in the United States to achieve gender parity with half its student population being women. It is known around the world for its innovative curriculum. In a recent study, “The global state of the art in engineering education,” Olin was named one of the world’s most highly regarded undergraduate engineering programs.

The curriculum at Olin College is centered around providing students with real-world experiences. Students complete dozens of projects over their four years, preparing them well for the workforce of today — and tomorrow. And the world needs more engineers. US labor statistics suggest the country will need six million more engineers to graduate, to fully meet the demand for their critical skill set.

An emphasis on ethics isn’t surprising given that Olin’s most visible alumna is Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. In her new book “The Power of One,” Haugen writes about her experience at Olin as a place that “believed integrating the humanities into its engineering curriculum was essential because it wanted its alumni to understand not just whether a solution could be built, but whether it should be built.”

Learn more about Olin’s unique approach to engineering education at olin.edu.