oung adults are often the drivers of change, and are often best able to leverage digital technology. Exposed to these technologies from an early age—earning the moniker “digital natives”—young adults have more natural expertise in leveraging emerging technologies like AI. This makes them uniquely positioned to support NATO as it seeks to incorporate AI.
As NATO enters its 76th year, sentiment toward the alliance is declining. Young people hold more unfavorable opinions of NATO than previous generations, with millennials and Gen Z respondents generally did not recognizing the benefits of NATO and transatlantic relations compared to older generations. Today, older generations make up most of NATO’s international staff, with 55% of NATO’s workforce older than 46. AI presents an avenue for the alliance to change young adults' perception of the alliance and incorporate their viewpoints more readily into the alliance’s operations while strengthening the transatlantic alliance.
Having grown up with digital technology, younger generations possess the unique ability to harness AI, and integrate it more seamlessly into NATO to strengthen the alliance. In fact, studies have found that those who grew up with digital technology adapt to technological change, such as AI, more rapidly than previous generations.
Moreover, young adults have the generational understanding on how NATO can leverage this new technology to detect disinformation. If given the chance, young adults can lead NATO intelligence operations deciphering incoming disinformation from what many may believe is misinformation or presumed factual content by utilizing fact based systems that analyze context to interpret the intentions of incoming information. Allowing young professionals to take on these roles with increased autonomy in the alliance makes the alliance more flexible in responding to these threats and
Additionally, young adults can expand the role AI plays in promoting a common knowledge base. As young professionals, in and outside of NATO adapt to new technology more quickly than other generations, young leadership is necessary to adapt NATO as an organization to quickly adapt to and adopt new technology. This young leadership would promote shared organizational memory, allowing NATO to continue evolving with new technology, ensuring the alliance’s future relevancy.
Thus, prioritizing the creativity and skill sets of younger generations would enable NATO to bolster its ability to integrate AI into the alliance’s political and military structures. Using the expertise from younger generations to bolster the alliance’s resiliency will greatly assist the alliance adapt to issues of the contemporary global order into its 77th year and beyond.
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To secure the digital future, NATO should turn to youth
Image via Adobe Stock.
June 25, 2025
NATO is facing two key challenges as it evolves to face modern threats—incorporating AI and declining public support for it as an institution. Engaging more fully with today’s young people can help with both, write Eileen Ackley and Elisabeth Nielsen.
Y
oung adults are often the drivers of change, and are often best able to leverage digital technology. Exposed to these technologies from an early age—earning the moniker “digital natives”—young adults have more natural expertise in leveraging emerging technologies like AI. This makes them uniquely positioned to support NATO as it seeks to incorporate AI.
As NATO enters its 76th year, sentiment toward the alliance is declining. Young people hold more unfavorable opinions of NATO than previous generations, with millennials and Gen Z respondents generally did not recognizing the benefits of NATO and transatlantic relations compared to older generations. Today, older generations make up most of NATO’s international staff, with 55% of NATO’s workforce older than 46. AI presents an avenue for the alliance to change young adults' perception of the alliance and incorporate their viewpoints more readily into the alliance’s operations while strengthening the transatlantic alliance.
Having grown up with digital technology, younger generations possess the unique ability to harness AI, and integrate it more seamlessly into NATO to strengthen the alliance. In fact, studies have found that those who grew up with digital technology adapt to technological change, such as AI, more rapidly than previous generations.
Moreover, young adults have the generational understanding on how NATO can leverage this new technology to detect disinformation. If given the chance, young adults can lead NATO intelligence operations deciphering incoming disinformation from what many may believe is misinformation or presumed factual content by utilizing fact based systems that analyze context to interpret the intentions of incoming information. Allowing young professionals to take on these roles with increased autonomy in the alliance makes the alliance more flexible in responding to these threats and
Additionally, young adults can expand the role AI plays in promoting a common knowledge base. As young professionals, in and outside of NATO adapt to new technology more quickly than other generations, young leadership is necessary to adapt NATO as an organization to quickly adapt to and adopt new technology. This young leadership would promote shared organizational memory, allowing NATO to continue evolving with new technology, ensuring the alliance’s future relevancy.
Thus, prioritizing the creativity and skill sets of younger generations would enable NATO to bolster its ability to integrate AI into the alliance’s political and military structures. Using the expertise from younger generations to bolster the alliance’s resiliency will greatly assist the alliance adapt to issues of the contemporary global order into its 77th year and beyond.
