Teens Deserve A Seat At The AI Table
- info5474246
- May 18
- 2 min read
By Mira Camillo
At first, my experience with AI seemed like a 5000-piece mini jigsaw puzzle without a picture on the box. I had no background in artificial intelligence or machine learning, and diving into topics like neural networks, algorithms, and data analysis felt like stepping into a completely new world. I’ll never forget my first online session of an intro to AI course; it seemed like the instructor spoke a different language. One I could barely seem to understand let alone master.
Coding was especially challenging for me. I didn’t understand the logic behind it, and it felt like one small mistake would affect the outcome. I am, at heart, more of a conceptual humanities kind of girl. How was I going to succeed in a class where everything sounded so perplexingly elaborate and formulaic?
As I continued with the course, things gradually began to make sense. The instructors broke things down in a way that helped me build confidence in understanding, and over time, I started to embrace the unfamiliar. I began to understand how AI systems are trained, how they learn from data, and how they can be used in practical ways. I observed how AI isn’t just a futuristic concept or an idea that’s so far-fetched. It’s already a seamless part of our daily lives, from smartphones and social media to community services like banking and healthcare.
Through this experience, I gained a whole new appreciation for the power and potential of AI. I realized that artificial intelligence isn’t mere coding or meant for those with an interest in computer science. It’s about a more tech-savvy way of solving problems, asking questions, and creating tools that can improve people’s lives in the simplest of ways. As I learned more, my interest grew in wanting to know how AI could impact political science and business, both career fields that I picture myself excelling in. AI is a series of concepts and abilities where creativity and logic come together in powerful ways. And perhaps most surprisingly, it is relevant to all students regardless of their future path.
Since completing the online course, I now believe more than ever that AI needs to be part of the core curriculum in all high schools. In the meantime, I want to encourage my peers to get excited about the possibilities of AI and take the initiative to learn more about how it works. As we move deeper into a technology-driven world, understanding AI will be just as important as traditional academic subjects. Whether someone wants to go into medicine, business, art, or education, AI is becoming a tool that influences every single industry.
An easily accessible introductory course helped me not only understand the basics of artificial intelligence but also see how crucial it is in today’s society, and for our future world. As 'digital natives', teens have a lot to offer Artificial Intelligence. We get tech. Artificial Intelligence is our next leap. It's something that every young person should have the chance to explore, because the future is being built with it, and we need to be a part of the conversation.