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On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, students from Utah Valley University attended the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of their study abroad program focused on diplomacy, sustainable development, and engagement with international institutions in Geneva and New York City. The summit provided students with an opportunity to move beyond classroom discussions of artificial intelligence and explore firsthand how emerging technologies are being applied to humanitarian assistance, education, sustainable development, energy efficiency, and other global challenges.
The experience began early in the morning as the UVU delegation traveled by public bus to the summit venue. The crowded bus offered an early indication of the scale of the event, with many passengers appearing to be headed to the same destination. Upon arrival, students joined participants from around the world in the registration process, received their conference badges, took delegation photographs, passed through security, and entered a large international gathering of researchers, technology professionals, policymakers, humanitarian organizations, students, and innovators.
The size and diversity of the summit immediately stood out to the delegation. Throughout the venue, participants could explore demonstrations of robotics, artificial intelligence systems, drones, youth-led innovations, humanitarian technologies, and other emerging applications. Rather than approaching the summit only as an exhibition, however, UVU students prioritized opportunities to participate in workshops and side events where they could engage directly with experts and connect the technologies being displayed with the subjects they had been studying academically.
To make the most of the limited time available, student leaders Natalia Figueroa and Aemish Brock divided members of the delegation into smaller groups and attended different sessions. This allowed students to experience multiple aspects of the summit while taking greater individual responsibility for deciding what they wanted to learn, asking questions, networking with participants, and later sharing their observations with one another.
Natalia's group attended the IEC and ISO workshop, “From Data Centres to Climate Goals: International Standards for a More Energy-Efficient AI.” The session brought together professionals working in energy engineering, data-center operations, international standards, and sustainable technological development. For students who had already been examining the relationship between artificial intelligence, education, sustainability, and public policy during the semester, the discussion demonstrated that AI development involves far more than the software or digital tools that users interact with directly.
The workshop explored the physical infrastructure required to support artificial intelligence, particularly data centers and the energy systems necessary to operate them. It also raised broader questions about how rapidly expanding AI infrastructure can be balanced with climate commitments, environmental protection, and the needs of communities located near major developments.
During the discussion, Natalia connected the international conversation directly to Utah by asking panelists about the implications of large-scale data-center and energy development for water resources, ecosystems, and rural communities. The question focused on how governments, technology companies, and international standards organizations can ensure that the expansion of AI infrastructure does not place additional pressure on water-related ecosystems and local livelihoods.
The discussion also connected with Sustainable Development Goal 6, particularly Target 6.6 and its emphasis on protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and lakes. For the students, this provided an example of how the Sustainable Development Goals can be used as a framework for examining emerging technologies rather than treating technological advancement and sustainable development as separate issues.
( L to R): Megan Ashcraft, Molly Webb, Founder and CEO of Energy Unlocked and Natalia Figueroa,
During a break in the workshop, Figueroa and fellow UVU student Megan Ashcraft also spoke with Molly Webb, Founder and CEO of Energy Unlocked, about the growth of data centers in the United States and the evolving roles of policy, international standards, regulation, and technological innovation. The conversation gave students an opportunity to continue the session beyond the formal panel and engage directly with a professional working in the field.
Beyond the workshops, students spent time exploring the main exhibition area of the summit. The upper levels of the venue featured demonstrations showing how rapidly artificial intelligence and robotics are moving from research environments into practical applications. Students encountered humanoid and interactive robots, robotic companion technologies, drones, and systems designed to address real-world humanitarian and logistical challenges.
A.H.E.A.D truck with banner of information on left
One innovation that drew particular attention was AHEAD—Autonomous Humanitarian Emergency Aid Devices, developed through collaboration between the World Food Programme and the German Aerospace Center. The autonomous system is designed to support humanitarian deliveries in difficult or potentially dangerous terrain, reducing risks to personnel while helping aid reach communities that may otherwise be difficult to access.
For a delegation studying sustainable mountain development, the technology raised particularly interesting possibilities. Mountain and geographically isolated communities frequently face transportation barriers, natural hazards, limited infrastructure, and difficulties accessing essential goods and humanitarian assistance. Seeing technology designed specifically to overcome difficult terrain allowed students to consider how artificial intelligence and autonomous systems might contribute to humanitarian response in vulnerable communities.
Students also explored smaller robotic technologies, including AI-enabled companion and pet robots, while observing demonstrations and speaking with participants throughout the exhibition area. The range of technologies made clear that artificial intelligence is not developing within one industry or one country. Instead, researchers, companies, governments, international organizations, and young innovators from around the world are increasingly considering how AI can be applied to problems ranging from humanitarian emergencies to education, transportation, health, sustainability, and everyday life.
The summit became an important example of student-engaged learning, an approach that places students in active roles in their own education. Rather than learning exclusively through lectures or assigned readings, students navigated an international conference, selected sessions relevant to their interests, divided leadership responsibilities, interacted with experts, asked questions, examined new technologies, and connected those experiences with subjects they had previously studied at UVU as a group with faculty mentorship.
For Natalia and Aemish in particular, the summit also built upon academic work they had undertaken during the previous semester examining artificial intelligence and its broader implications. Encountering researchers, policymakers, international standards specialists, and emerging technologies in person transformed concepts previously studied in an academic setting into tangible international policy and development questions.
The experience demonstrated the value of combining classroom preparation with opportunities for students to participate directly in international institutions and professional environments. Students were not simply observing discussions about the future of artificial intelligence; they were being encouraged to ask how that future should be shaped and whose interests should be considered as new technologies continue to develop.
Because of the delegation's larger Geneva schedule, students were only able to spend part of the day at the summit before continuing with other study abroad activities. Many students left wishing that the itinerary had allowed additional time to return and explore more sessions. The scale of the conference, number of workshops, and diversity of organizations represented exceeded expectations and demonstrated how significant the international conversation surrounding artificial intelligence has become.
Photo of Panel “From Data Centres to Climate Goals: International Standards for a More Energy-Efficient AI.
The AI for Good Global Summit ultimately encouraged UVU students to consider artificial intelligence from a broader perspective. AI offers considerable possibilities for improving education, humanitarian assistance, accessibility, sustainability, and international development. At the same time, its growth raises important questions concerning energy consumption, water, infrastructure, environmental stewardship, regulation, and the effects technological development can have on local communities.
For the UVU delegation, attending the summit reinforced that innovation alone does not determine whether technology contributes to sustainable development. Meaningful progress also requires responsible leadership, international cooperation, transparency, and attention to human dignity and the communities affected by technological change.
Through student-engaged learning opportunities such as the AI for Good Global Summit, students were able to connect academic study with real-world international discussions and better understand their potential roles within those conversations. The experience in Geneva demonstrated that students do not have to wait until later in their careers to participate in global discussions surrounding technology and sustainable development; with preparation, mentorship, and opportunities for engagement, they can begin contributing their perspectives now.
Natalia Figueroa, President, Utah International Mountain Forum and Aemish Brock, President, Foreign Affairs Club at Utah Valley University
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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
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