Supercharged Human?

Supercharged Human? is a project by Save the Children Italy, Savoir Devenir and Tactical Tech, with the support of the European Union. It offers accessible, ready-to-use resources that help educators, parents and caregivers have honest conversations with young people about AI, including its possibilities, limits and impacts.

Who is it for? Educators (teachers, youth workers, librarians and cultural workers), parents, caregivers and organisations working with young people.

Why the question mark? Because critical AI literacy starts with questioning, including the idea that AI can “supercharge” humans. It is a rhetorical question, not an endorsement.

“AI systems are generally smarter than humans.” OK...

“AI is the new frontier for creativity.” Sure...

“AI is inevitable.” If you say so...

Does this sound familiar? We’ve heard it all before. AI is the latest in a long line of technologies hyped as life-changing, humanity-transforming opportunities. But what is behind all the flashy slogans and big promises?

The widespread adoption of AI tools is reshaping how we learn, think, consume, and create information, and even how we connect with each other. As early adopters, teens are experiencing these changes. But here’s the catch: beyond the well-known social and environmental downsides, there’s a sneaky trade-off happening. Giving up our private data for instant answers? Check. Trading our creativity for productivity hacks? Check. Swapping our social skills for chit-chat with a weirdly overpolite chatbot? Check. Sacrificing our environment for ‘free’ access? Double-check.

So, how can educators, parents, and caregivers navigate this complex media and information landscape? How can they engage young people in meaningful conversations and strategies about AI, including its possibilities, limits, and impacts? Most importantly, how can they empower young people to use AI critically and exercise their digital rights with a human-centred focus?

It is possible to enjoy the benefits of technology without turning into a productivity machine. It is possible to embrace tech while still creating spaces for human creativity and connection. We can hold on to the joy of learning, making mistakes, and creating without relying only on machines. And we can only achieve all this with the right digital skills and critical digital literacy.

So “AI systems are generally smarter than humans”? “AI is the new frontier for creativity”? “AI is inevitable”? Here is our response: Thanks, but no thanks. It is time to supercharge humans through competences, knowledge, and connections.

AI systems are quickly entering classrooms and daily life, often promoted as tools to improve literacy and creativity. But their growing use is causing disruption, from spreading false information and increasing polarisation to reinforcing biases, stereotypes, and changing how we think about information and knowledge. The benefits are clear, but so are the rising risks.

Schools, libraries, cultural centres, and youth-focused organisations play a crucial role in creating spaces for the honest and critical conversations we need. But to do so, educators need resources and tools to equip learners of all ages with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate AI-driven media and information systems. This initiative does exactly that by providing:

Website: Savoir Devenir

Launched in early 2017, the non-profit organisation Savoir Devenir is dedicated to empowering all audiences, including citizens, educators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, to take control of their media and digital lives. Supported by the UNESCO Chair “Savoir Devenir” at Sorbonne Nouvelle University and backed by an international network of partners, the organisation works at the intersection of media and information literacy, digital literacy, AI-literacy, and internet governance, enabling individuals to understand, create, and actively engage with today’s digital environments.

Website: Save the Children Italy (STC)

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting to save children at risk and guarantee them a future. We work every day with passion, determination and professionalism in Italy and around the world to give children the opportunity to be born and grow up healthy, to receive an education and to be protected. In 2014, Save the Children launched “Enlighten the Future”, a campaign to combat educational poverty in Italy through the opening of 26 Punti Luce (“high-density educational centres”) in the most deprived areas of the country. These are places where children and adolescents can participate in free educational, recreational, and cultural activities, discover their talents and cultivate them for their future.

Website: Tactical Tech

Today, more than ever, we need to reflect critically on our relationship with technology. How do digital technologies impact the way we get informed and make decisions? How can we as a society face the 'side-effects' of an increasingly data-driven world? At Tactical Tech, a Berlin-based non-profit organisation, we design and co-develop playful and forward-looking experiences, interventions, events and educational resources that invite people to think about how technology influences their lives and changes the world they live in. Since 2013, we have joined forces with a global network of partners and civil society organisations, collaborating at the intersection of technology, research, design and art on projects that promote conversations and encourage proactive solutions.