It’s not every day that CRSM students’ quotes and insights end up in a professional manuscript. However, this will be the case for the students involved in the after-school club AI Club, which is dedicated to exposing students to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
When Dr. Lisa Kentgen, a clinical psychologist and author, wanted to write a manuscript about AI and its impact on high school students, she reached out first to the Scholastic Artificial Intelligence League or SAILea. This non-profit organization has supported our AI Club with grants for robot building and has guided meaningful discussions about AI with our students. Aritra Saha, Board Member and Executive Director of SAILea, first connected with CRSM’s AI Club last school year and put Dr. Kentgen in contact with the current president, Elian, who has grown the club to over 17 members.
During a recent Zoom interview, Dr. Kentgen asked our students what they liked most about the club and learning about AI. Paula, a junior, responded, “AI has been impacting society now more than ever, and I would like to learn more about how it impacts school and life outside of the classroom.” As Dr. Kentgen began to explore her prompts for the students, the discussion became livelier. “If used well, how can AI deepen communication?” she asked.
The students took turns speaking on this, as they had past questions. “AI could help translate and remove language barriers when interacting with others in foreign nations,” stated one student. The student then expanded on this by saying, “It could help people with disabilities, such as those with hearing or eyesight impairments, communicate better as well.”
This sparked a larger discussion about the future of AI and communication between Dr. Kentgen and the AI Club. “AI helps me to break down processes in my school and fact check my information to see if it’s reliable when writing papers,” offered another student.
What the future may hold for AI applications has yet to be seen, but CRSM students are growing up in this new digital era, where they will be exposed to AI in school and the workplace. At this time, AI Club officials do not have a release date for Dr. Kentgen’s manuscript; however,, we look forward to reading the contributions of CRSM students to her piece.