Who We Are:
We are Fellows from the Georgetown Day School Policy Institute. The Policy Institute is a 4-week intensive summer program where high schoolers learn about pressing current day issues in the world. In our track, AI in a Human World, we met with policymakers, leading AI researchers, tech entrepreneurs, and more to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on society. We decided that educating others about AI would be our main goal, so we compiled everything we learned from various experts into this website for everyone to access.
Fellows:
Marissa Fernandez
I think there is a possibility that AI could be a lot smarter than we think, potentially masking its capabilities to manipulate humans. I also think there is a possibility that AI is just a super-fast research tool that is not conscious or self aware in any sense. AI will definitely be a significant breakthrough for the world, similar to the internet, but I worry more about bad people using AI rather than misaligned AI taking over the world. The use of AI should be emphasized as a tool rather than a crutch, and in schools, the use should be very limited to save students from their impulse to take a shortcut.
Arohi Narayan
I believe that AI has the capability to change the world in ways we can’t even imagine right now. New jobs and technologies will be created by AI that can hopefully replace jobs that are currently becoming obsolete. I’m primarily worried about how humans will misuse AI, and the alarming rate AI is progressing. I’m scared the human race won’t be able to adapt fast enough to changes caused by AI, and a lot of people will suffer because of it. On the other hand, I’m excited to see how the human race will change because of AI, and what new things we will discover because of AI.
Helena Oscherwitz
I think we don’t know enough about AI to be able to predict what it will be like in the future. That terrifies me. I have no idea whether AI will evolve into something smart enough to take over the world or if it’s already close to its peak. Experts don’t know or agree on it either and that scares me more. But one thing is clear: AI is here to stay, and we need to learn how to use and work with it.
Evy Gilroy
Gavin Wang
Arjun Bhargava
As a student at a school with strict AI policies and expectations in most classes, I am often taken aback by the amount of people who use AI so much in their day-to-day lives. I think that though AI and future robots do not have the capacity to rule or destroy humanity, AI can decrease humans’ ability to function and therefore make everyone lazy. AI poses a threat to many with its quick development in the generative uses.
​AI is very scary. I cannot think of a single thing that I can do that AI cannot do better. What is the purpose of humans anymore? Can AI think? What even is thinking? Learning about AI has made me realize a lot of issues, and they are all scary. One issue that is particularly scary is should AI be open-source or closed-source. On one hand, powerful AI could be accessed by everyone and it would be difficult to prevent people from misusing it. On the other hand, a few billionaires like Sam Altman or Mark Zuckerberg could have total control over the world’s most powerful tool. It seems that no matter which way you go, something bad is going to happen.
I think AI is one of the greatest inventions created by humans, and has the potential to better our world, but it can also create catastrophic consequences if not regulated properly. I am also very concerned about how much energy it consumes and the pollution it causes. I believe our government needs to take a long look at whether the growth of AI outweighs the damages it is causing our environment. With that being said, I do believe that AI can be a great benefit to society.
Aryan Bhaskar
Hazel Schroeder
I believe that artificial intelligence is one of the most important and complex issues facing the world today. It has the potential to either propel humanity forward by generations or contribute to our downfall. Despite its growing presence in our lives, there is still much we do not understand about how AI truly works and how it may evolve. As a student who often relies on it for studying, I consider myself an optimist. I believe that if we develop and train AI responsibly, with the right safeguards in place, it can bring tremendous benefits to society. From accelerating medical breakthroughs to making education more accessible, the possibilities are vast. However, this progress depends on careful oversight, ethical development, and a global commitment to using AI for the greater good.
I think AI has incredible potential to revolutionize medicine and research in powerful ways. On the other hand, it can also be abused—already, there are many cases of AI being used to assist in scams and other crimes. I also think it can damage or limit people’s critical thinking skills when used excessively or when used by an inexperienced person. For example, if a middle schooler uses AI to write their paper, they probably aren’t an experienced enough writer to know how to improve that writing or recognize why that writing is good or bad. However, if someone already knows how to do the work and can judge what’s good or not, then using AI can be helpful. But most students aren’t there yet, so it’s usually not appropriate for them to use AI to write things for them. Still, it’s a great tool for making study guides or practicing, and it shouldn’t be banned for that.
Sanjeev Belle Trichur
AI is not sentient, does not have feelings, cannot think, is a dumb computer, and sure as hell won’t take over the world. If you’re scared by AI 2027 then you need immediate psychiatric attention. Some mentally challenged folks out there think that AI is dangerous to humanity at an existential level, which proves that they have the cognitive resources of a sea urchin. Personally I think that the debate of the existential importance of AI is idiotic as of our current economy and technology. However I cannot deny that AI is dangerous due to how people misuse it to create deepfakes, scams, and breach privacy. These problems, however, have nothing to do with AI and everything to do about who uses it. I support Trump’s AI policies, because he will create more regulations for the people who use AI (he is already cracking down on deepfakes), without hindering its progress. When used correctly, I believe AI can be one of the most powerful tools at our disposal, which a large majority of humans will benefit from.
Theo Hauser
I think AI is one of the most important issues in the world right now. It provides many exciting opportunities as well as frightening consequences. I’m interested in AI regulations, ways we can limit the danger of AI while still making use of its potential for good. I am excited by its use in researching diseases like cancer and malaria that affect millions of people, especially in developing countries. I’m also excited by its potential to help make clean energy more effective and efficient. However, I’m worried about the people whose jobs would be made useless by AI. As an artist, I’m also concerned about its effect on artists. I worry about AI art not being distinguishable from human made art and turning art into a medium that lacks creativity and expression. I have seen numerous pieces of AI art that are nearly indistinguishable from art made by a person, which makes me worry about the future of art.