Straight answers, before you apply.
What the hub is, who can join, what membership costs you in time, and how we handle your data.
Who we are
What is Young AI Leaders Austria?
Young AI Leaders Austria brings together local city hubs as part of the Young AI Leaders Community, an initiative by AI for Good. Our current hubs in Linz and Vienna connect young talent with academia, industry and public institutions, ship applied work, and carry young perspectives from Austria into international AI rooms.
Are you part of the UN, ITU or UNESCO?
No. Young AI Leaders Austria is part of the Young AI Leaders Community, an initiative by AI for Good. We are a member of the UNESCO MIL Alliance and the EU Pact for Skills, and we participate in forums such as the Austrian AI Stakeholder Forum — membership and participation, never endorsement.
Where are you based?
Our current city hubs operate in Linz and Vienna, with locations at the LIT Open Innovation Center and AI:AT AI Factory Austria. Both support local programmes and shared Austria-wide work. Addresses are on the contact page.
How big is the community?
The Young AI Leaders Community spans 42 hubs across 29 countries community-wide. We do not publish member counts for Young AI Leaders Austria.
Joining a hub
Who can apply?
People aged 18 to 30 who live, study or work near one of our current city hubs — or have a clear tie to one — and can show up in person a few times a year.
Do I need to study at JKU?
No. We work closely with JKU, but membership is open across institutions and to early-career professionals connected to one of our current city hubs.
Do I need to be technical?
No. You need at least one of: technical depth, design or communications craft, program execution, or institutional fluency. Teams need all four.
How selective is the process?
Capability, Availability and Responsibility are the core criteria. Hub leadership also considers culture, mission and vision alignment, and whether a team needs what an applicant brings.
What does the application look like?
A written application including a CV, followed by a review from hub leadership and a two-way conversation. Selected applicants enter a trial phase, own and deliver a concrete contribution, and can then be confirmed as members.
When can I apply?
Official intake windows are September and February. You can apply any time. Outside these windows, or if a team is full, your application may move to the next cycle.
Is there a membership fee?
No membership fee.
What if I cannot commit much time?
Then membership is the wrong fit right now. Come to our public events instead and apply when your schedule allows consistent involvement.
How long is the commitment?
Membership is a four-year commitment to the community. The shape of your participation can change over that time — ramp, ownership, leadership, alumni — but presence is expected.
The work
What do members actually do?
Members work inside one of four teams — Community & Events, Skills & Education, Software & Research, Operations & Growth — on dated work across six fields of impact, from AI literacy pilots to hackathons, research and policy input.
Are your events open to non-members?
Many are. Public sessions are listed on our Luma calendar; member-only sessions are not listed.
Where can I verify your numbers?
The Impact page dates and names every entry, and labels the scope of every figure — city hub, Austria-wide, global format or community-wide.
Organisations
Can a company or institution become a member?
Membership is for individuals. Organisations work with us as partners, co-organizers, sponsors, tool partners or industry collaborators — see the partners page.
How do you label relationships publicly?
Every organisation carries exactly one accurate label, agreed before publication. A speaker is an industry collaborator, not a partner. We show logos only for confirmed partner-track relationships.
How do we start a partnership?
Write to the Operations & Growth team through the contact page. Most collaborations start as one scoped format with a named lead and an agreed date.
Data & privacy
What happens to my application data?
Application data and uploaded documents are stored privately, visible only to the reviewers handling your application. Retention periods and your rights as a data subject are set out on the legal page.
Can I withdraw my application or delete my data?
Yes. You can withdraw at any time from your applicant portal, and request export or deletion of your data through the contact details on the legal page.