By Sarah Mackel
The German-Baltic Conference 2024, hosted yearly since 2019 by the German-Baltic Future Foundation (DBJW), convened in Vilnius this October, gathering youth ambassadors and young leaders from across Europe to address critical global challenges. Over four busy days, Youth Ambassadors and GBYEN-members gathered in the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, on Gediminas Avenue, to attend panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and work together to create policy papers. All groups tackled pressing issues like health care reform, climate change, refugee protection, and AI ethics, working towards creating actionable policy recommendations aimed at shaping a more sustainable and equitable future, which would later be presented to the parliaments of Germany and the Baltics. Aside from the DBJW clusters, the conference also hosted the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network (GBYEN), which brought together representatives of youth organisations based in Germany, the Baltic States, and Ukraine to discuss AI and youth cooperation in Europe. Each DBJW cluster operated under the conference theme of “AI in Crisis Management”; Cluster B, which I had the privilege of shadowing as a Young Journalist, focused on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to address healthcare issues, specifically in Latvia.
Indeed, in the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has become a pressing issue - its rapid development is reshaping the medical field, with implications for patients, professionals, and policymakers alike. Issues such as patient data privacy, algorithmic discrimination, and equity of care provision have all been the subject of heavy debates across the world as the technology develops. Our task as a cluster was to ensure that youth voices were part of the discussion, offering perspectives that are sometimes overlooked in decision-making.
The first question that was asked by a cluster member, during our very first brainstorming session, was “how do we get the parliament of a country to listen to a group of kids?” This question voiced what was on all of our minds - the stakes of our work at the conference, and the importance of a platform for youth voices in the global discussion on artificial intelligence. As young people, with high school students, university students, and young professionals represented in the group, all from varying fields, the cluster’s Youth Ambassadors were keenly aware that the decisions made about AI in healthcare in Europe within the next few years would have a deep impact on our future. As a participant would later bring up in a brainstorming session, healthcare, like climate change, refugee protection, or disinformation, is a deeply personal field, and everyone involved in the discussions could empathise with challenges currently facing European healthcare systems, and understand motivations to find equitable technology-based solutions to them.
Led by Egija Graudina, a software engineer, Cluster B exemplified the conference’s spirit of innovation and creativity. “My projects always seem to be entirely different from anyone else’s,” Egija remarked, a sentiment that reflected her cluster's fresh perspective on healthcare challenges. Her role as a Head of Cluster was to supervise, guide, and coordinate cluster members in the creation of the policy paper.
From the cluster’s inception three months before the conference, when group members began meeting to research their policy paper, the group had a challenging mission: understanding the intricacies of different European health systems, each representing the countries of its members, and their use of e-Health systems and artificial intelligence, to draft recommendations tailored to Latvia. With participants from STEM, administrative, Humanities, and technology backgrounds, the group had a diverse skill set and set of perspectives with which to approach this task. Over this time, the group analyzed issues ranging from patient access to the integration of AI in diagnosis and treatment. “Healthcare systems are inherently complicated,” explained one delegate. “Most people struggle to fully understand their own country’s system, let alone someone else’s.” Yet, through their discussions, the team, consisting of more than six nationalities, identified common challenges like administrative burdens, healthcare worker shortages, and unequal access to care—issues that AI could potentially help address. Challenges in healthcare reform struck a personal note for many of the Cluster members, with the stakes of the brainstorming sessions and policy paper clear to all. As such, the cluster's work was deeply personal for several members, who noted the acute problems many countries face, such as long wait times and disparities in care coverage.
On Day 1 of the conference, participants kicked off the event by reflecting on their expectations and concerns. Led by Egija, the group explored what they hoped to achieve. A major question that arose was how to create solutions that are not only applicable but also have maximum potential for real-world implementation. Many in the room shared a common worry about how young people can attract the attention of older generations and actually drive change.
The day then shifted to a research session where participants began charting a roadmap for their policy paper, grappling with how to meet deadlines and ensure their voices are heard by decision-makers. After a break, participants shared their findings, diving deep into discussions around AI regulation, accountability, and data privacy—particularly in healthcare. The group explored the ethical implications of AI, drawing comparisons between the EU’s AI Act and policies in other countries, including Denmark’s approach to AI in healthcare. The conversation also touched on how AI might impact doctors’ salaries and whether data collection is acceptable for public purposes, or if it becomes problematic when sold to private companies. Personal discussions followed, where participants shared their experiences with healthcare systems in Germany, the Baltics, and Ukraine.
Nikolina Rutenberga, a medical student and youth ambassador, shared her insights from working with medical AI in her workplace in Latvia. “There’s still room for innovation within regulations. We just have to discuss how far we can go to ensure innovation benefits us. AI has the potential to alleviate administrative burdens and healthcare worker shortages, improving systems overall.”
She also gave a presentation to the group on the current Latvian healthcare ecosystem and challenges currently facing the country’s hospitals and medical practices, as well as the Latvian Health Ministry’s current strategies to address these issues. Currently, Latvia’s healthcare system faces challenges such as limited funding, a shortage of medical staff, and an aging population, which hinder its ability to fully meet public health needs and deliver equitable care. These factors, along with prevalent health risks like cardiovascular disease, cancer, smoking, and alcohol consumption, contribute to the country's life expectancy of 74.8 years—the second lowest in the EU. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact, leading to a sharp drop in life expectancy that has not yet fully rebounded. The potential impact of artificial intelligence on issues like understaffing and public health campaigns was not lost on the cluster during the presentation, and led to several in-depth discussions.
The group identified several issues within Latvia’s healthcare system, notably its fragmented e-health infrastructure, which leads to inconsistent access to patient records and delays in care. AI-powered solutions were seen as a way to streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and improve patient access to care. Among the proposed solutions was the introduction of AI-powered chatbots for initial consultations. These bots could help triage patients, offer health recommendations, and reduce waiting times. Additionally, the group suggested integrating Latvia’s existing e-health systems to create a more centralized platform for patient records, improving access and efficiency.
Central to the healthcare cluster's discussions was digital twin technology, which creates virtual models of patients based on data from electronic health records, wearable devices, and AI. These digital replicas can simulate health conditions, predict outcomes, and inform personalized treatment plans. The technology holds significant promise for improving healthcare delivery, enhancing diagnostics, and reducing inefficiencies in the system. The cluster also discussed the Belgian-led EDITH (Enhanced Digital Twin for Health) initiative, which aims to create a secure, cross-border framework for sharing digital twin data across healthcare systems in Europe. By complying with EU data privacy regulations, EDITH seeks to enable collaboration between countries while safeguarding patient confidentiality. For Latvia, such initiatives could provide a much-needed solution to ongoing challenges such as long wait times and fragmented healthcare data.
The group also explored the ethical concerns surrounding AI-assisted diagnoses. They emphasized the importance of integrating AI as a tool that supports healthcare professionals rather than replacing them, ensuring that technology complements human expertise without undermining trust in medical practitioners.
Oleksandra Frankevych, a student at Riga Technical University, gave a presentation on Ukrainian e-Health systems and their applications in public health, and potential applications of similar e-Health structures to alleviate burdens on the Latvian healthcare system. In the spirit of the conference, intercultural and international idea exchanges were a key part of the cluster’s discussion, as participants exchanged e-Health strategies and anecdotes from their home countries to see how they could be applied to the Latvian healthcare system, or how their home countries compared in terms of healthcare delivery strategies.
While the cluster’s formal brainstorming sessions focused on policy development, the conference was abuzz with both formal and informal exchanges on the subject of artificial intelligence, technology, peace and security, and discussions of the day’s panels or keynote speeches. In hallways, dining areas, and late-night library sessions, new ideas were constantly being proposed to tackle challenges faced by the clusters and their ambassadors. Throughout the conference, the lasting impression of this constant energy was one of inspiration - the knowledge that every Youth Ambassador, Journalist, GBYEN-member, and DBJW-member was surrounded by a group of like-minded young people all motivated to address the very real issues facing our generations as we grow into the workforce and the world.
Beyond the healthcare cluster, other groups tackled equally impactful issues, from countering disinformation to addressing migration policy and enhancing climate resilience, with the overarching theme of “Artificial Intelligence in Crisis Management”. Each cluster faced tight deadlines to produce recommendations, yet their energy and focus never wavered.
The conference’s busy schedule also provided plenty of time for networking and appreciation of Vilnius’ culture and history. Youth Ambassadors participated in events such as a city-wide scavenger hunt that provided a comprehensive, interactive tour of historical Vilnius; Rīgas Danči, led by Rozite Ponne, the head of the DBJW’s Latvian country office, introduced the conference attendees to traditional Latvian instruments, music, and dances; a visit to the MO museum introduced participants to Lithuania’s rich artistic and cultural scene; and on the final night of the conference, participants dined together in the Neringa Restaurant, where the atmosphere was one of camaraderie and celebration as youth ambassadors, GBYEN-members, and journalists alike toasted to the work they had achieved together and prepared their presentations for the closing ceremony held the next morning.
On the morning of the 27th of October, after four days of intense brainstorming, dialogues, discussions, and debates with experts, and research, each cluster presented the work they had completed and the recommendations for their respective parliaments to a packed auditorium, followed by their respective journalists’ remarks on the cluster’s work. As the conference drew to a close, and the host city of the German-Baltic Conference 2025 was announced as Riga, delegates left with more than just policy drafts. They carried a renewed sense of purpose and a network of like-minded changemakers. For example, Leni Biechele, a youth ambassador in my cluster, noted that she had gained new perspectives on her home country’s healthcare system and approach to artificial intelligence thanks to her work on Latvian healthcare, which she would bring home with her once the conference was over.
As a Young Journalist, I can only end this article with the last remarks I gave to the conference attendees themselves as part of the journalists’ presentations: “After this week, I find myself genuinely hopeful - as both a young person, and medical student, growing up to face the challenges posed by this decade. Over these past days, I’ve seen the dedication, insight, and resilience of everyone here. I truly believe that, while the present may be uncertain, things could also get much better if you stay true to yourselves and keep asking yourself - how can I create meaningful change? What can I do to make this better?”
If you are interested in the policy paper of cluster B, take a look here!
Graphic Recording by: Agne Rapalaite-Rasiule, visualmind.lt
Photos by: Simonas Lukoševičius (Instagram: @simonas_luko)