Malala Yousafzai calls for tech‑driven education at Rio Innovation Week

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai addressed the Rio Innovation Week 2026 at Pier Mauá in Rio de Janeiro, urging the use of technology to broaden access to education. She warned that climate, social and technological changes demand faster educational responses and highlighted that roughly 120 million girls worldwide still lack schooling. Yousafzai noted the Malala Fund supports about 140 groups globally, including girls in Afghanistan where the Taliban’s bans on female education persist.

The activist also cautioned that artificial intelligence currently lacks inclusion of women and marginalized groups, stressing that diverse participation in AI development is essential to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities. At the same time, she emphasized AI’s potential to expand learning opportunities when paired with inclusive policies. The event’s theme, “Symbiosis – the future does not happen in isolation,” featured 16 thematic tracks and around 40 stages discussing AI, education, innovation, diversity and sustainability.