Ahead of his show-stopping performance at Taste of Cayman’s one-night-only concert on Friday, Will.i.am, rapper and founding member of iconic hip hop band, Black Eyed Peas, was focused on inspiring young people to embrace science and technology as well as the arts.
About 100 people, including teachers, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) students and members of the tech and creative communities, earlier on Friday listened to the Grammy Award-winning artist talk about the future of creativity, technology and entrepreneurship, and to prepare for a future driven by AI and robotics.
“The world needs more engineers,” Will.i.am said at the invitation-only event held at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort.
The singer, rapper, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist spoke about his childhood and why he’s now a firm advocate for youth development in science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
“The reason I’m an advocate for STEAM… Say you have a degree in finance. Unfortunately, because of the world, five or 10 years from now, that career path is not going to be as vibrant,” he said, noting that when people graduate there is not necessarily a job awaiting them.
“They have a degree, debt, and no job. The area where there’s lots of jobs, there’s not the amount of people ready to fill these jobs. The world needs engineers… all different types of engineers.”
Will.i.am has been recognised with nine Grammy Awards, an Emmy, a Clio, the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, a TIME 100 Impact Award, the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award, and an honorary fellowship of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
He has also created the i.am Angel Foundation which supports STEAM courses, robotics clubs and computer-coding classes. Additionally, the foundation assists college-track after-school tutoring, and college programmes and scholarships.
‘Put electricity in this next generation’
The Black Eyed Peas artist encouraged leaders to start working with youth from now to develop their “awesomeness”.
“Empower the youth, incorporate them in identifying problems, challenge them to solve the problems now. Governments should acknowledge them, more than rating their grades,” he said.
“Their brain is wired differently from the adults… [if you] bring them into the fold, challenge their intellect and their ‘awesomeness’…, I’m pretty sure they will blow you away, you’re gonna be surprised at just how awesome they are.”
He added, “By involving the youth, you will put electricity in this next generation to where they feel and know they are valuable at an age where other companies are taking them seriously. There’s a wave happening, so we have to change with urgency how we collaborate, who we collaborate with, how we enter the work problem-solving space with empathy, patience, tolerance and inclusion.”
With animation and humour, Will.i.am also shared insights into the creation of his app, FYI (Focus Your Idea), a new AI-powered communication platform that is “designed to serve the creative community”, according to its website.
He stressed that now is the time for young people to use what they have to be great, adding, “anything you put your mind to with technology like this, you can do it. I’m proof of that.”
Space flight
If one celebrity wasn’t enough inspiration, attendees also heard from Sharon and Marc Hagle, the first married couple to travel together on a commercial space flight and founders of SpaceKids Global. The pair shared their passion for spaceflight and are working to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in the space industry.
Sharon Hagle said, “Everything we have here on earth, we’re going to need up there. We’re going to need farmers, mechanics…everybody, space is for everyone. We want to make learning fun again and bring the possibilities to kids everywhere.”
Cayman Prep & High School student Liam Benson, 17, told the Compass the event was “amazing”, adding, “Will.i.am is a great speaker. He really talked about the youth and how we are the future.”
The student is pursuing his interest in technology outside of the classroom.
”I joined the robotics club [at school] because I had an interest in engineering and designing robots and that kind of thing,” he said.
Benson hopes to pursue a career related to AI, in “space, or something that would really take humanity to the next level”.
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