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[DEFINE] is collecting stories from young adults
across the U.S. about how AI is shaping their lives, their communities, and their futures.
This is a storytelling project by AI4All and the All Tomorrows Institute that centers young adults in the AI conversation, whose futures are by the technology and whose voices must be heard. We are looking for young people aged 18–24 across the U.S. to share their lived experiences with AI during this critical moment in history.
Why? Because creativity is an expression of AI literacy. And the people who will have to live with today’s tech decisions the longest deserve a say in how they're built.
Participate
We're gathering stories, art, music, writing, and video from people ages 18–24 about how artificial intelligence shows up in their lives. These stories will live in a public, digital archive and be amplified through a documentary film premiering in December 2026.
Eligibility
Ages 18–24, based in the United States.
No technical background required. No institutional affiliation needed. If AI is part of your life you're eligible.
How it works
Choose a Topic
Pick the topic area that resonates with you most.
Pick a Prompt
Each topic has three ways in—sharing an artistic vision, describing an ideal world, or telling a personal story.
Share Your Story
Record a video. Write a poem. Make a drawing. Sing a song. Share a voice memo. Your Story can take any form that is most authentic to you and your experience.
Submit
Complete the form below to share your Story and sign the required participant consent forms for consideration. That's it!
Why you should submit
Be Featured: Opportunity to be included in the official short documentary and the digital archive.
Premiere Event: Participants selected for the documentary will be invited to an exclusive screening, including travel.
Cash Prize: A chance to win $500 for your submission.
Make an Impact: Share your Story to contribute to the national conversation on AI governance and design.
Our Topics
AI and the Environment
You are asking a question the industry hasn’t answered yet: is AI worth the cost to the planet? What standards and regulations should be implemented to protect our planet’s fragile resources? Can we grow and remain while also protecting our land, water, and communities?
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Create an artistic representation of how AI technology impacts the planet's health. Consider both positive and negative impacts.
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Describe a future where AI technology is designed to care for the Earth. What would that look like? How do we get there?
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How has the intersection of technology and the environment touched your life or community? Where do you see AI making it better or worse?
AI and Human Connection
AI and the Future of Work
You have a unique set of challenges that no generation before has experienced as you enter the workforce and inherit an economy reshaped by AI. How do we build systems that prioritizes a human centered workforce, protects current and future job security, upskills employees, and values human ingenuity?
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Create an artistic representation of the impact of AI on the future of the job market, work, and labor use. Consider both positive and negative impacts.
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Describe a future where technology makes jobs safer, fairer, and more meaningful. What does that look like? How do we get there?
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How has AI impacted your job, your career goals, or the work happening in your community? Based on your lived experience, where do you see AI creating new opportunities, and where does it raise concerns about fairness, security, or meaning?
AI and Human Connection
AI already influences your most intimate relationships. It shapes who we see, who we talk to, and who we trust. What does it mean when algorithms shape and track daily life? You’re asking what it would look like if these tools were built for genuine connection.
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Create an artistic representation of how AI technology impacts human relationships and human connection. Consider both positive and negative impacts.
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Imagine a future where AI strengthens friendships, families, and communities. How would AI show up in those relationships?
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In what ways has AI impacted your connections to people you care about? Based on your lived experience, describe how AI is changing relationships between individuals and communities.
Submission
Your Story can take many forms:
Video (spoken narrative, short film, spoken word, vlog-style)
Audio (voice memo, song, podcast-style recording, oral narrative)
Visual Art (drawing, painting, digital art, photography, collage)
Written (essay, poem, letter, short story, zine page, journal entry)
Mixed Media (any combination of the above)
Stories may be in any language. If your submission is not in English, we ask that the description included is in English. We will work with digital translators to ensure non-English submissions are fully represented in the archive and, where possible, in the documentary.
If you intend to submit your Story specifically for documentary consideration, please ensure that you submit either a video or audio file that meets the following criteria:
Video Specifications
Duration: 1–3 minutes
Resolution: Minimum 1080p (Full HD) recommended
Audio: Clear, well-recorded audio is essential. Film in a quiet space if possible.
Orientation: Landscape (horizontal) preferred for documentary
File Formats: MP4, MOV, or AVI
Duration: 1–3 minutes
Audio: Clear, well-recorded audio is essential. Record in a quiet space if possible.
File Formats: MP3 or WAV
Audio Specifications
Evaluation Criteria
This criteria will be used to asses if a Story will be included in the archive and/or documentary.
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Does your Story respond to one of the three topic areas and address AI's role in your life, community, or future?
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Does your Story read as if it were a genuine, personal voice — not rehearsed talking points, generic statements, or content that reads as substantially AI-generated without personal input?
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Do you ground your Story in lived experience, naming specific moments, places, communities, or systems that AI has touched?
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Do you articulate a clear perspective on AI's impact and/or offer what the future will or should look like with the integration of AI?
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Can a viewer, listener, or reader follow your Story?
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Is the technical execution and/or artistic modality sufficient for public presentation?
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Does the Story make you feel something? Would an audience connect with this story?
Schedule
Submissions Open
April 16
Documentary Submission Deadline (11:59 PST)
May 20
May 29
July
Documentary Selections
July
Archive Launch
Final Submission Deadline (11:59 PST)
August 26
September 7
Rolling Deadline
Archive Selections
December
Documentary Premiere
Become a Producer
Donate $25+ today to become a Community Producer of [DEFINE]: Our AI Futures, premiering December 2026. You’ll be credited in the film and get exclusive updates and sneak peeks throughout production.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. This project is for anyone who lives in a world shaped by AI—which is all of us. We're looking for your perspective, not your technical knowledge.
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Your Story can take many formats, however your Story should not include: hate speech, any inclusion of violence, or expresses harm to self or others. These submissions will not be eligible for inclusion in the Archive or Documentary.
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We prize transparency in our attitude toward generative artificial intelligence. We will ask if you have used a generative AI tool like ChatGPT to assist in the preparation of your story submission, and for you to describe that use, along with the prompts given to the tool. Your use, or non-use, of AI will not be considered when evaluating your story for inclusion in the Archive or Documentary. You will be asked to acknowledge your agreement to this AI-Generated Content Policy when submitting your story.
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No. We accept video, audio, written, visual art, and mixed media submissions. Share your story in whatever format feels right for you.
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Yes. We welcome Stories in any language. If your submission isn't in English, we ask that the description you include (2–3 sentence summary) is in English so we can understand what it's about and are able to share this with the general public should your Story be selected for inclusion in the Archive or Documentary.
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Stories will be reviewed against the listed evaluation criteria to determine eligibility for inclusion in the archive and/or documentary.
Those who clearly respond to a topic and demonstrate their individual voice will be included in the DEFINE digital archive, a public collection of young adult perspectives on AI.
Selected stories may also be featured in the documentary, trailer, or social media content. The production team will select the final group of documentary subjects based on production quality, the strength of their connection to the prompt, the clarity of their perspective, and the range of topics and corresponding key themes they represent. Please note that video and audio files are preferred for consideration for inclusion in the documentary.
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The application for this project collects personal information, including name, email, location (city, state), and age, to verify eligibility. You will also be asked to provide a headshot and bio. After selecting your Topic and prompt, you will be asked to share why you selected this prompt before providing the title, description, and media type for the file you are uploading. All participants are required to review our AI policy and media release.
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Yes, you may submit more than one story, but not more than one story per topic. Each of your submissions must be submitted for a new topic; if multiple submissions associated with the same submitter are made under the same topic, the first one received (chronologically) will be accepted as the one for consideration.
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By submitting, you grant the DEFINE project team the right to include your work in the documentary, trailer, social media cuts, and digital archive. You'll sign a consent form as part of the submission process that explains this in full.
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Participants selected for the documentary will be provided with travel and accommodation to attend the Premiere in December as well as a $500 honorarium. Any necessary travel and accommodation to complete documentary production requirements will also be covered.
Stories submitted after the documentary submission deadline (May 29th) and by the September 7th deadline are eligible to win a $500 cash prize. One prize will be granted per topic. Submissions will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria, and prizes will be awarded based on performance against each criterion.
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[DEFINE]: Our AI Futures is a project of AI4ALL and the All Tomorrows Institute, funded by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
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When applying you will be asked to provide the following information:
Full Name*
Email*
Location (city, state)*
Age*
Bio* (750 characters max)
Headshot*
Social
Which Topic are you responding to?*
Which prompt are you answering?*
Why did you select this prompt?* (750 characters max)
Story title* (50 characters max)
Story description* (750 characters max)
File upload*
What type of media did you upload?*
How did you hear about [DEFINE]: Our AI Futures?*
I would like to receive regular updates from [DEFINE]: Our AI Futures.
Consent Forms*
Data Consent
AI Policy Consent
Media consent
*Required questions
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Sign up for an info session here.
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Submissions submitted after the documentary submission deadline and before the archive submission deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please allow 4-6 weeks for review. You will receive email confirmation of completion of your review.