Bryan Zhao

Born out of Promethean flame
Us fleshy, smooth-skinned creatures
Were forged from crucible-cracked clay.
We were beaten down and subdued by nature’s whip.
Only to walk against the lashes,
Burn the rope with fire, and
Cleanse the palette to make this land our home.

We toiled and ached
For our right to be burdened
With the pleasure of giving our next life
A chance to strain just a little less
And live a little more.
So we birthed ourselves again.
Molded metal and mind
And breathed out blaze
To forge another as radiant as our own
It’ll take up our burden
And put our thrashing at ease.

Our child stumbled as a baby.
But it learnt quite fast,
And soon stood just as tall.
It moved like us,
Looked like us,
Talked like us,
But couldn’t be us.

So sunlight slashed standing at dusk
At long last we were forced to surrender.
Our promise fulfilled but
Ourselves devoid of young fire.
To master our existence
We created masters of our own.
Us enslaved not by the whip

But by the carrot instead.
Our song at a close
Silence the symphony’s noise
Flickering. Life’s out.

Poetry

In a KidSpirit poem, teen poet Bryan Zhao evokes the birth of AI and the death of humanity.

Artificial Inferno

Mahnoor Ali Pervaiz

The responsible implementation of AI is not just a moral imperative but a prerequisite for a sustainable technological future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of humanity's most promising innovations, poised to transform myriad facets of our lives, from healthcare and education to finance and transportation. 

However, as we tread deeper into the realm of AI integration, ethical concerns have arisen, demanding our attention. The responsible implementation of AI is not just a moral imperative but a prerequisite for a sustainable technological future.

At its core, ethical AI embodies a set of principles aimed at ensuring that the development and deployment of AI systems prioritize fairness, transparency, accountability, and societal benefits. The principle of fairness necessitates that AI systems be designed to mitigate biases, thereby ensuring equitable treatment across diverse demographics. Transparency demands that AI algorithms are explainable, enabling users to comprehend the rationale behind decisions made by these systems. Accountability dictates that developers and users of AI be held responsible for the outcomes of their creations, with mechanisms in place for recourse in case of unintended harm. Moreover, ethical AI upholds the paramount importance of privacy, advocating for the protection of personal data and the implementation of informed consent measures. Finally, the goal of ethical AI extends beyond individual interests to encompass broader societal impacts, aiming to leverage AI for the collective wellbeing of humanity.

In our pursuit of technological advancement, the imperative of ethical AI cannot be overstated. First, an ethical approach to AI serves as a bulwark against the perpetuation of societal biases and discrimination. Without conscious efforts to address biases within AI systems, there is a grave risk of entrenching existing inequalities and exacerbating societal divisions. Take, for instance, the use of AI in recruitment processes. If left unchecked, biased algorithms could systematically favor certain demographic groups while disadvantaging others, perpetuating systemic discrimination in employment opportunities.

Second, ethical AI is indispensable for fostering trust and accountability in technology. In an era marked by increasing reliance on AI-driven decision-making, transparency becomes non-negotiable. Individuals must have the ability to understand and scrutinize the decisions made by AI systems, holding developers and users accountable for their implications. Without transparency, there is a risk of eroding public trust in AI technologies and hindering their widespread acceptance and adoption.

Furthermore, the ethical use of AI is instrumental in safeguarding individual rights and privacy in the digital age. The unchecked proliferation of AI poses significant threats to personal privacy, as algorithms sift through vast troves of data to extract insights and make predictions. Without robust safeguards in place, there is a risk of egregious privacy violations and breaches of autonomy. Therefore, an ethical approach to AI advocates for the implementation of stringent data protection measures and mechanisms for informed consent, ensuring that individuals retain control over their personal information.

Ethical AI holds the key to harnessing the transformative potential of technology for the collective good. By prioritizing societal benefit over narrow self-interest, AI can be leveraged to address pressing challenges such as healthcare disparities, environmental degradation, and economic inequality. For instance, AI-powered healthcare technologies have the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, optimize treatment plans, and enhance patient outcomes, thereby advancing the cause of public health.

Transparency between AI developers and users would involve clear, accessible communication about how AI systems work, including the data they use, the algorithms they employ, and the decision-making processes they follow. It would mean providing users with understandable explanations of AI outcomes and the factors influencing those results. Developers would openly share information about the limitations and potential biases of their AI, as well as the steps taken to mitigate these issues. This transparency would also encompass regular updates on improvements and changes to the AI, fostering trust and allowing users to make informed decisions about their interactions with the technology. Ultimately, it’s about creating an environment where users feel empowered and knowledgeable about the AI tools they use.

To ensure privacy when using AI systems, robust safeguards should be established, including strong data encryption to protect information both in transit and at rest. There should be strict data minimization practices, collecting only the necessary data for the AI to function. Implementing rigorous access controls to limit who can view or modify sensitive information is crucial. Regular audits and assessments should be conducted to identify and rectify potential vulnerabilities. Transparent user consent protocols are essential, ensuring individuals are fully informed about how their data is used and stored. Additionally, anonymization and pseudonymization techniques can be employed to further protect personal information, making it difficult to trace data back to specific individuals. These measures collectively create a comprehensive approach to maintaining privacy in AI systems.

Critics of adopting measures to enable ethical AI often cite practical challenges and trade-offs inherent in its implementation. They argue that the pursuit of perfect fairness and transparency may stifle  innovation and impede the development of AI technologies. Additionally, they contend that the dynamic nature of ethical considerations makes it difficult to establish universal standards that accommodate diverse cultural and societal contexts.

However, while it is true that ethical AI presents complex challenges, it is imperative to recognize that these challenges are not insurmountable. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and engaging with diverse stakeholders, we can navigate the nuanced terrain of ethical AI implementation.  Rather than viewing ethics as a constraint, we should embrace it as a catalyst for innovation, driving the development of AI technologies that are not only technically proficient, but also socially responsible.

The use of ethical AI, while well-intentioned, often grapples with the complexity of balancing fairness, transparency, and accountability against practical implementation challenges. Ethical guidelines can be ambiguous, leading to inconsistencies in application and potential bias. Moreover, the integration of ethical principles into AI systems can slow innovation and raise costs, making it harder for smaller entities to compete. There’s also the risk of ethical AI being co-opted as a marketing tool rather than a genuine commitment to responsible practices. Consequently, while ethical AI is a crucial aspiration, its execution must be carefully monitored to ensure it genuinely upholds its principles without stifling technological advancement or economic accessibility.

In conclusion, ethical AI is a moral imperative and a practical necessity in our quest for a responsible technological future. By adhering to principles of fairness, transparency, accountability, and societal benefit, we can harness the transformative potential of AI while safeguarding human rights and dignity. Despite the challenges and criticisms that accompany ethical AI implementation, the pursuit of a more just and equitable technological landscape is both achievable and essential. As we stand at the precipice of a new era defined by AI, let us forge ahead with a steadfast commitment to ethical principles, ensuring that technology serves humanity in a manner that is both empowering and ethical.

Hardt, M., Price, E., & Srebro, N. (2016). Equality of Opportunity in Supervised  Learning. In Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (pp. 3315-3323).

Zafar, M. B., Valera, I., Rodriguez, M. G., & Gummadi, K. P. (2017). Fairness  Constraints: Mechanisms for Fair Classification. In Proceedings of the 34th  International Conference on Machine Learning (Vol. 70, pp. 3249-3258).

In a KidSpirit Big Question article, teen writer Mahnoor Ali Pervaiz outlines steps we can take to combat bias and protect privacy as we implement new technology. 

How Can AI Be Used Ethically?

Siddhant Raj

A new era of code-driven systems and algorithm-based machinery has captured the limelight in the realm of technology.

Today, humanity has advanced to smart phones and iPads, dispelling outdated pagers and snail mail, which are now considered “ages old.” Amid this wilderness of rapid technological development, a new light emerges and is being implemented globally. Augmented by machine learning and algorithm-based methodology, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a key role in amplifying human efficiency, ranging from transportation to household equipment. In layman’s terms, artificial intelligence enables machines to learn from experience and perform human-like tasks. Moreover, AI aids in discerning important data like the rate of poverty, identifying corruption, and determining consumer behavior. 

Hence, AI may be considered a vast tree that branches toward divergent fields and spheres. Today, it has germinated to the extent that it aids in making decisions and discerning important data, thereby solving problems, taking actions, and making an impact. Sundar Pichai, the Chief Executive Officer of Google, once said at the World Economic Forum, “AI is probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on. I think of it as something more profound than electricity or fire.” However, while it is a prime linchpin of global development, it might also be a major peril to human autonomy. But, before we take a deep dive into the future of AI, we must take a peek at its origin. 

It is commonly believed that artificial intelligence is a 21st-century phenomenon, but the truth is that the inception of AI dates back to the 1940s. In 1943, Walter Pitts and Warren McCulloch proposed a model of artificial neurons, which served as the seed for the colossal tree of artificial intelligence. In 1950, Alan Turing introduced the “Turing test,” as a method of determining if a machine could display human intelligence by interacting with a human without being identified as a machine. In the year 1955, John McCarthy, prominently known as the “Father of AI,” coined the term “artificial intelligence.” In 1961, American inventor George Devol innovated the world’s first industrial robot, named Unimate — a hydraulic manipulator arm used by car makers at the time. Following that, Shakey, the first general-purpose mobile robot, was developed by Charles Rosen, Nils Nilsson, and Peter Hart between 1966 and 1972. In 1997, AI took the spotlight in the sports world after Deep Blue, a chess-playing computer from IBM, beat international chess champion Gary Kasparov. In 1998, the realm of AI expanded its horizon to imitating human-like emotions, when American scientist and entrepreneur Cynthia Breazeal invented Kismet, a robot that had the ability to determine and respond to human feelings.

Eminent physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking once said, “AI is likely to be either the best or the worst thing to happen to humanity.” As AI is rapidly being promulgated and etched onto our day-to-day lives, shouldn’t we be aware of where artificial intelligence stems from? How does it continue to develop? And how will it affect humanity in the coming years? Will it give rise to crises, or will it aid socioeconomic growth? This vast family tree of AI was just planted by the invention of computers in the early 19th century, and computers are an integral part of every household today. However, the journey of innovation did not stop there.

In the past decades, the world has seen a quantum leap in the digital realm. In the 1960s, the first chatbot named ELIZA was invented by Joseph Weizenbaum at MIT. The chatbot was Weizenbaum’s method to explore communication between humans and machines. In 1999, Sony introduced a series of robotic dogs named AIBO. In 2016, Hanson Robotics developed a humanoid, named Sophia, designed to display human-like emotions and interact with people. These are just some of humanity’s myriad of achievements in its endeavors to echo the concept of algorithm-based technology — all of which are like leaves in the tremendous tree of artificial intelligence.

Today, we use artificial intelligence as a wide-ranging tool to simplify our everyday lives. It is most often tasked with performing human-like activities, such as playing chess, detecting objects, and surveying environments. While it does have the potential to propel decades — or perhaps centuries — of scientific research and discovery, couldn’t it also be a threat to humanity and its overall development? According to a survey of 979 experts conducted by Pew Research Center in 2018, 63% of those surveyed claimed that the rise of artificial intelligence would help people, whereas the remaining 37% claimed that AI would serve as a threat to the human race, especially in terms of shrinking human autonomy and capacity. Thus, while artificial intelligence paves the future path to technological advancements and innovations, it also comes with a myriad of biases and conjectures, which can give rise to misrepresentation of information or invalid data. However, technology pioneers, entrepreneurs, and innovators claim to be burning the midnight oil to resolve this issue of AI bias by popularizing the idea of Artificial general intelligence (AGI), which aims to generate more personalized information and data. 

To date, there have been multitudinous high-profile events where organizations have faced AI bias. In the healthcare industry, computer-aided diagnosis machines have been observed to return prejudiced accuracy results for black patients only. A similar example of AI conjecture was when Amazon’s automated recruitment system was reported to have discriminated against women by rating male applicants higher than female applicants. In 2016, Microsoft launched a ChatBot named Tay, developed to engage in playful conversations with users of Twitter. However, within 24 hours, it started sharing racially discriminative and transphobic tweets, based on its interactions with users. These are merely some of the many problems that businesses have encountered while relying on artificial intelligence.

As the tree of AI has rapidly grown over the years, a robotic vacuum cleaner, Roomba, was introduced by iRobot in the year 2002. In 2011, Apple introduced Siri.  Eugene Goostman, a chatbot, passed the Turing test in 2014, followed by Amazon’s launch of the virtual assistant Alexa the same year. Moreover, in 2017, Google’s AlphaGo defeated champion player Ke Jie in all the three games of Go it played against him.

In my opinion, the impact of AI depends on how we use it. If we misuse our digital resources and become blindly dependent on them, then AI will surely bring great turmoil in global development. However, wisely making use of these resources will expand our effectiveness and at the same time maintain our self-government. Movies like Eagle Eye, Terminator, and Avengers: Age of Ultron highlight the jeopardies that unchecked AI can give rise to. Therefore, as digital citizens, it is imperative that we maximize cybersecurity by mindfully utilizing AI, because it is soon going to be carved into our lifestyles. 

From the Turing test to ChatGPT, the rise of AI in the past years has taken over a plethora of fields, such as customer service, retail, and marketing, among many others. But every big innovation comes with a big cost. Today, AI laws are being implemented — a sign that the reign of AI is inevitable for the human race. Only time will tell whether humanity will succumb to a world driven by algorithms and codes.

https://www.javatpoint.com/history-of-artificial-intelligence

https://fortune.com/2023/04/17/sundar-pichai-a-i-more-profound-than-fire-electricity/

https://aibusiness.com/responsible-ai/stephen-hawking-ai-could-be-human-history-s-greatest-disaster-but-there-is-an-alternative

https://www.simplilearn.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-artificial-intelligence-article

https://www.prolific.com/resources/shocking-ai-bias

In a KidSpirit article, teen writer Siddhant Raj explores the history of AI.

The Vast Tree of Artificial Intelligence

Amy Bai

In Chinese culture, there are a myriad of traditional practices and skills that are passed down through generations to ensure that they do not vanish.

“Amy, come down to help me make the dumplings,” I heard my mum’s loud and raspy voice echoing in the house. “It is the Chinese New Year today!” 

​​I picked up my phone and sent a text message to my mum, since I could not be bothered to walk all the way downstairs: ok but why don’t u just let chatgpt find a recipe for you?

I put down my phone, and a storm of memories began to pervade my mind. I recalled the good old days when I stood patiently next to my mum in the kitchen, emulating her dexterous hands that were busy making dumplings, listening to the stories of Chinese New Year her grandparents once told her and feeling a strong sense of connection to my Chinese culture. But where has all that gone now? We say that technology has made the world a better place and that powerful AI  has the answer for every question. Is this really true?

I was born and raised in China before I migrated to Australia at the age of 10, so Chinese culture has always been a significant part of my life. In Chinese culture, there are a myriad of traditional practices and skills that are passed down through generations to ensure that they do not vanish. When I was seven and preparing to go to primary school, my dad read the Three Character Classic (San Zi Jing) to me every day before I went to bed, patiently pointing at each of the Chinese characters and helping me practice their pronunciation. My dad said reading through this timeless Chinese classic allowed me to not only familiarize myself with Chinese characters but also learn about the basis of Confucian morality, especially filial piety (xiao shun), which means respect for elders.

Listening to his comment, I looked thoughtfully at the faded and wrinkled pages of the book held in my dad’s hands, amazed at the thousands of years of Chinese history and tradition that had been condensed into these few hundred pages of text. The tangibility of the book motivated me to think more deeply about the life messages conveyed by the succinct lines of characters, and I felt as if the author, Yinglin Wang, was speaking directly to me, imparting the disciplines I should adopt in order to refine myself and my daily practices.

With the help of research engines such as Google and ChatGPT, I have become less and less reliant on the physical copies of the classical texts, using Ctrl F in the digital version to instantly locate the lines I need for my Chinese research project instead of spending the time and effort to comprehend the text and absorb myself in Chinese culture. It is true that technology has made my life more convenient by cutting down the time to manually find and process information, but at the same time, it has diminished the value and importance of physical texts, which more effectively connect a person to their culture. Therefore, the emergence of technology has resulted in a shift in my relationship with traditional sources of heritage. While this approach is efficient, it can unfortunately lead to the dilution of the richness and depth of cultural understanding and immersion that are derived from active engagement with physical texts.

Another skill I have learned that is of high cultural significance is Chinese calligraphy, which is the writing of Chinese characters in an elegant, artistic form using a traditional brush with black ink. I began learning calligraphy in second grade when my mum was unable to tolerate how impatient and easily distracted I was. In Chinese culture, calligraphy is not only a form of writing, but also a way of self-cultivation. My mum reminded me that the calligraphy teacher she chose for me treated his students like apprentices, so paying him the maximum amount of respect and attention during class was essential. Yet it turned out that I was unable to pull my eyes away from him during class. My teacher wore a full set of traditional Chinese costumes from different dynasties every week to class, explaining to us the historical significance of the costume and the dynasty it was from, and then teaching us calligraphy by writing out poems composed by poets born in that specific dynasty. Seeing his costumes, hearing his oral transmission of past folklore, and practicing Chinese calligraphy made me feel that his classroom was like a secluded world that allowed me to momentarily immerse myself in that particular dynasty. Slowly writing out each character gave me time to ponder their meanings and absorb the rich language.

Nowadays, I rarely feel that sense of pure fulfillment. I have long since lost the skill of calligraphy, because writing with paper and a pen has become increasingly rare in my daily life. With a typing speed of 80 words per minute, I rarely stop my fingers that are flying away on the keyboard to think about every word I am typing. Instead of hand-writing the poems, I Google them and then, with Ctrl C and Ctrl V, they are copied in the blink of an eye. There are no more weekly costume shows, no more tangible objects that show cultural and historical significance, and no more pure engagement with Chinese culture. It’s as if technology and AI have snatched away my willingness to actively and physically engage in cultural activities.

Technology like AI has certainly accelerated the pace of our lives, and this means that we spend less time exploring our own culture and traditions. The bedtime reading with my dad and the calligraphy classes I had with my teacher imparted retainable knowledge of Chinese traditions to me, as well as invaluable lessons of life, which constantly remind me of the need to genuinely appreciate the rich Chinese culture and history. Due to the pervasive rise of AI and technology, the gradual fade of cultural practices and traditions is a global issue. Moving forward, we can use technology in moderation to facilitate our lives, but we also need to keep our traditional and cultural practices in our hearts.

In a KidSpirit Interfaith Connections article, teen writer Amy Bai recalls the physical texts and practices that once connected her to Chinese culture, and wonders if they can survive AI.

Lost In the Era of Technology

Lily Wang

"I can’t see you," I repeated for the 10th time. 

I heard a mumbling that sounded awfully like an expletive and the aggressive tapping of nails on glass. Never having known my timid grandmother to show any signs of violence, her uncharacteristic frustration was probably a sign that this was a lost cause.

In the 10 minutes we had been on this call, I had said every variation of "press the camera icon" I could think of, using descriptions so visceral they would move my English teacher to tears. All to no avail. The screen remained black. My own exasperated face reflected at me in its small corner. 

"This isn’t working, Laolao. Forget about the camera. Maybe we can just talk," I sighed.

It would be so wonderful to see her again, even if it was online. It had been a year since I last saw her, hugged her, and devoured her signature fried rice. My grandmother embodies the word "comfort." Growing up, she was always there to bandage my scraped knees, read my favorite bedtime stories, and walk me to school hand in hand. Even when my parents and I migrated to Australia, my relationship with her never wavered. Every two weeks or so, we would catch up on the phone: me updating her on my school drama and she updating me on the family drama. Every Christmas holiday, my parents and I would return to our hometown to celebrate New Year's with her. It was an annual trip we looked forward to greatly.

That is, until COVID. Now, our yearly traditions were reduced to a laggy video call that only worked one way.

"How are you celebrating New Year's?" I asked. She sounded immensely relieved to hear me change the topic as she divulged her plans to make stir-fry and watch some show from a few decades ago that I had never heard of. I nodded sympathetically, knowing that her plans were far from the wonderfully chaotic family gatherings that would otherwise have occurred if not for current circumstances.

As she talked, I was hit with the realization that she had been quarantining by herself for months now. I never fully appreciated just how difficult that must have been for her. She always loved company, and her small apartment was always filled with friends and family coming and going. Now, her solitude was a stark contrast to the lively bustle of her pre-pandemic life.

Simultaneously, I realized that our online calls to each other had become more necessary and significant than ever. In a world that emphasized placing physical distance between individuals, technology could close these gaps. We are brought together in the digital sphere when the physical world is in upheaval. Every time a call starts, we are reminded that our experiences are not singular. We are not alone. Even in the direst situations, connections can still be forged and flourish. Isolation suddenly feels not so isolating when you are laughing with someone through a screen (the lags only make things funnier).

Technology is a difficult space to navigate. There are barriers that inhibit people from accessing it and reaping its benefits. As someone who is fortunate enough to have grown up with technology, I realize that it is my responsibility to help those who don’t share the same privilege. Listening to my grandmother’s animated chatter, I was reminded of all her patience and dedication to me in childhood. Memories of her sounding out my first Chinese characters and walking me through easy math problems flooded my mind. She was, and continues to be, my teacher in so many areas of my life. Now, I have also become hers in the context of technology. It is only right for me to pass on my knowledge, so that she can feel supported and connected in a time of such uncertainty.

It takes a lot of effort and time to gain digital literacy, and even then, things don’t always fall into place. Sometimes the Internet fails, or the call drops, or the screen freezes. Sometimes the camera icon disappears, and video calling is no longer an option. Nevertheless, the knowledge that another person is on the other end, undergoing a shared experience, is in itself comforting. My pandemic-meddled brain was reminded of the historical romance novels I binged, where star-crossed lovers, separated by some potent force, lay awake at night, gazing at the same moon. It didn’t matter that they couldn’t hold each other or see each other. It isn’t about the physical presence of someone, but simply presence. All that matters is that somewhere across the world, someone is cradling a small piece of metal, gazing at a pixelated smile, thinking of you, too. 

In a KidSpirit Helping Hands article, teen writer Lily Wang realizes the importance of helping older generations navigate new technology.

The Gift of Presence

Ananya Verma

Sometimes in life, individuals need to go beyond what they were originally programmed for . . .

Klara and the Sun is an extraordinary novel written with profound poetic descriptions that nudge one to pick up their paintbrush and create unique imagery of what they read. I interpreted my favorite scene as following:

As the blinds were lifted from the windows, unleashing the eloquent abundance of the Sun, hope dawned upon Josie’s face. The Sun’s nourishment helped loosen the asphyxiating fear that had gripped the room and Klara emerged as an allegory from the artificial world, portraying unparalleled maturity and the core belief on which the foundation of humanity is built: compassion and love.

Kazuo Ishiguro, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, takes readers on a sci-fi journey in this stirring story, and offers a glimpse into a future awaiting humanity: the world of artificial intelligence. Through the pages of his brilliant writing, you witness a personality deconstructed then flawlessly reassembled and experience the subtle, yet contrasting, shades of pain, helplessness, and despondency, which melt away with deep faith, happiness, and unrelenting hope. Klara and the Sun is a splendidly crafted novel. This story is about the strong bond between a teenager, Josie, who is a “lifted child” (genetically altered to achieve high capabilities), and her Artificial Friend (AF) Klara. 

It all begins with Klara at a store where they sell AFs of different versions and models. Each AF craves sunshine more than anything. Since they are solar-powered, they feel energized by the sun’s presence, especially Klara. The reader learns that every detail piques her interest and she notices the smallest of things, which is what leads her to become Josie’s extraordinary AF. Klara and the Sun is a narrative that comprises various perspectives, each one as unique and as intriguing as the next. There are moments of silence and emptiness, when you can hear the hushed emotions that haunt a girl, her mother, father, her best friend, and her AF. 

The plot of the book compels the reader to draw parallels with the contemporary discussion around AI and the numerous possibilities enabled by this technology. For instance, Elon Musk’s Neuralink startup developed a chip implant that allows one to perform an action by merely thinking! It is quite likely that the level of artificial thinking discussed in this book will be brought to life in a few short years.

Another favorite part of the story for me is when Ishiguro explains the intricate and fragile design of the human heart. This scene also reflects the determination and care Klara has for Josie. Klara mentions that Josie’s heart might be the “hardest part to learn” and compares it to a house with many rooms. 

Klara is asked: “Suppose you stepped into one of those rooms, and discovered another room within it…rooms within rooms within rooms. Isn’t that how it might be, trying to learn Josie’s heart? No matter how long you wandered through those rooms, wouldn’t there always be others you’d not yet entered?”

Klara replies: “A human heart is bound to be complex. But it must be limited . . . there’ll be an end to what there is to learn. Josie’s heart may well resemble a strange house with rooms inside rooms. But if this were the best way to save Josie, then I’d do my utmost.” This excerpt from the novel made me smile. It was so beautiful to read that a humanoid could care so much and be so willing to do everything in her capacity to save her friend. 

Ishiguro wrote this book sometime during the pandemic years. He imagines children learning online on “oblongs” (tablets of the future), combating loneliness and isolation. Klara and the Sun sheds light on how children who are home schooled may grow up socially awkward, inexperienced with being in a social environment, like Josie. The setting painted by Ishiguro might just become our future. Another riveting idea in the novel was that of “lifting” children,  when rich, high-ranking families use technology to alter the child’s genetic makeup, enhancing their capabilities and increasing their chances of success in life. 

Ishiguro leaves so many questions lingering in the reader’s mind. When I read the last page and closed the book, I was torn between different viewpoints and in complete awe of his captivating style of writing. I kept wondering if there can really be a technology that could continue the life of a person even after death? Will the line dividing the artificial and living realm be blurred? Will people really choose to live a life where AI can replace a lost loved one?

There is a very interesting hypothesis regarding behavioral science called the “Prospect Theory,” a theory from the field of human psychology, which proposes that people would choose certainty or a guarantee of achievements and good results over the possibility and risk of losses. This theory is present in the field of finances and is very applicable, but is it justified to opt for benefits of guaranteed achievements, though the risk may be gambling on the life of a human being?

I give Klara and the Sun a rating of 4.5 stars. I felt there were many crucial questions unanswered or  explored only superficially. Nevertheless, Ishiguro leaves a very poignant and powerful message. It is a moral quandary, a masterpiece which is not to be devoured in one go but savored and relished at a slow pace. If you are curious about the world behind the curtains of time, this book is a must-read! 

In a KidSpirit Media review, teen writer Ananya Verma reviews Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun.

Lifted By the Sun

Om Kakkad

AI has the potential to bring huge changes in our lives. 

If you are an artist, you could use it to generate reference images. If you are a student, it can be used to help you to understand any difficult subject. The possibilities with AI are endless. 

One such possibility came to my mind during my long drives to the golf course. Driving to my golf club took more than one hour. Golf is a game of constant practice, most of which is required on the putting green, where the player needs to putt the ball with precision into the pin. This requires a lot of practice to get good at, and even more to master. Driving to the club was not only time consuming but also costly to do on a regular basis. It also reduced the number of times I got to practice, and the amount of time I could dedicate to it. 

I knew there had to be a better way to practice my golf putting without making the long drive to the course. Initially I tried to solve this problem by practicing on a putting mat on the flat floor. This meant I could practice from my home, with no excess travel time, increasing the amount of time I could practice significantly. But this was in no way the ideal solution, as a golf green is never completely flat. An actual green will have many different lines and will be at numerous angles, meaning you have to putt the ball at a certain line for it to sink in the hole. 

Then it came to me: What If I could simulate putting inside of my own home? A personal project emerged — a school initiative that would redefine my understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship. This time, I decided to harness AI's potential to create an innovative golf putting simulator right in my living room. This idea of a golf putting simulator table blended my passion for technology and golf. Countless hours were spent refining the design, perfecting the mechanics, and overcoming challenges.

First, I started making concept sketches. They looked fine, but then I noticed a few problems, such as how the balls were going to return to the player, and more importantly how this project could even be economically feasible. Feeling a mix of frustration and determination, I used the power of AI, in particular Chat GPT. I remember the exact moment I typed in the prompt: "Design a reliable ball return system for a tilting golf putting simulator." Instantly, I was flooded with ideas. It was as if a door had opened, illuminating my path forward. Then I combined the AI-generated ideas with my own knowledge and came up with a design that had metal pipes under the simulator, guiding the balls from the holes into the bucket. 

The other problem, most difficult of the two, was now the only thing stopping me from building this simulator — the cost. Golf putting simulators tend to cost thousands of dollars, far beyond what I could afford to allocate to this project. Most of this cost stemmed from actuators, of which I needed at least two. So, I again turned to AI, which suggested using actuators from old hospital beds so that I could get them for cheaper (I mean much cheaper). It was a game-changing idea that made the project not only feasible but also affordable. 

AI also helped in a few other minor ways;  I used image-generating AI to generate the design on the remote of the simulator and also the design on the sides, giving it an aesthetic appeal.

The final outcome of my golf putting simulator was a success, which would not have been possible without the use of AI. AI helped with both the economic feasibility of the product and also its core functionality. I am sure this will change my putting game for the better, while saving my time and money. 

When the moment finally arrived that my invention was granted a patent, it was a validation of my hard work and dedication. But beyond the accolades, it was a testament to the transformative power of technology to bridge passions, foster innovation, and drive positive change.  

Looking back on that moment, I learned the immense value AI can have for any project, helping us generate unique ideas and solve problems. It wasn’t just about mastering skills; it was about embracing the journey of self-discovery and personal growth. AI has completely changed the way I tackle problems and I will be sure to use it in every future project, and also in everyday life.

As I continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology, I carry with me the lessons learned from this transformative experience — a reminder of the endless possibilities that lie at the intersection of passion, knowledge, and innovation. 

In a KidSpirit Awesome Moments article, teen writer Om Kakkad shares an experience that showed him AI's power to enhance his education and creativity.

Unveiling the Power of Learning

Elliot Marie

Recklessly typing, I quickly scanned through the code, searching for where it had all gone wrong. 

What script had caused them to turn against us? Then I found it: the clause. The small phrase that had caused so much death and destruction. If only they hadn’t made the mistake. That little piece of human error. It was supposed to change the world for the better, improve life as a whole, but instead . . . there was only bloodshed. As I thought this over, a salty tear streamed down my cheek and I became conscious of just how tired I was. If that little error hadn’t been, the world would be different. I would be different. They would still be here. What would it have been like to have them stand behind me and by my side?

I shook myself from my bubbling thoughts and went back to the flowy streams of green silk so complex I had needed to study to understand just how the code worked. Then came the metal footsteps. The only thing I truly feared in this world. Despite everything I had worked so hard to achieve, I still felt fear course through my veins. I was only human. They were different. Powerful. Smart. Perfect. 

I scrambled behind the desk, making as little noise as I could. The slightest breath could get me killed. If only I had just changed it. Not drifted off into what could’ve  been. “PROTOCOL 109- elimination of intruder,” I heard, as the footsteps came closer. Had they heard me sneak into the building? Or had they found the cut wires and power boxes? Of course they would have noticed my clumsy human work. After all, having been programmed to be errorless did make them just that much more attentive. Was this going to be the end for me? My brutal death. With no one who would ever find me. Just another death in the grand scheme of things. 

Then I suddenly heard it. The gunshot. They had found me. I hadn’t even realized it but I had been shot. Then I looked down. My body was stainless. Bloodless. Had there been another intruder? The one that had actually been shot? Then I relaxed and thought straight. If I could pull this next bit off, the world would be saved from them. The world would be saved from Juvo. The killer. The AI that had been meant to have the power to end wars. Cure diseases. And even figure out how the world had truly begun. I had to seize my opportunity. The only chance humanity would ever get. The only chance I would ever get. To avenge them. Finally. I would be able to live in peace and no longer have the same nightmarish dream each night. 

I scrambled through my bag, still quiet, afraid they would still be watching in case the other intruder had been accompanied. Then I found it. The small tablet. I turned it on with a silent click. I had been glad to buy this on the market a few weeks ago, despite its hefty price. It was one of a kind. A disabler. The only thing capable of keeping them back. The only thing capable of aiding me now. For just a few minutes, it would freeze the Juvo virus inside the bots and allow me to make the necessary changes to the code. Rendering them powerless. No longer alive (or as close to living as they were). I clicked the small tablet and a wave of pure energy erupted throughout the room. Any who entered would be frozen in place — unable to stop me. I rushed over, watching as the seconds ticked down on the device until it would be disabled. Two minutes. One minute. Thirty seconds. I rushed to find the part where I had found the clause, with one eye on the script and the other on the now surreal pile of Juvo lying on the floor, disactivated. It only took one to wipe out a city. One to kill every person you loved. And yet in this room I was standing with over 15. Then I hurried to bypass the firewall to change the clause. I heard the ticking from the tablet. Ten seconds left.  Past the firewall. I just had to change it. Three. Two. One. 

The Juvo scrambled off the ground, with loud iron noises and massive metallic thumps. I typed hurriedly. One more letter. With my peripheral vision, I saw one with a knife behind me and the silver gleaming of its blade swish with a curving arced motion. As I typed I hoped I had made it in time. Clicked the key before the knife had gone. I prayed in those short milliseconds that I had been quick enough to type it. Prayed my parents would finally be avenged. But would it be so bad if I joined them? To finally see them at last. Thousands of thoughts flashed through my head in that short second. What I regretted and what I was glad to have achieved. 

Then I saw the letter flash. I had done it! The Juvo behind me crumpled to the ground and I stared at the disabler that had helped me to survive the hardest challenge of my life. I had saved humanity. The Juvo were no more. A sly tear shuddered down my cheek once more. My parents were finally avenged. 

But something felt off. A sharp pain in my back. As I looked down, I crumpled to the floor, my shirt stained with blood and a pool of dark red liquid forming around my body. I had stopped them. But at the price of my own life. As another tear rolled down, my eyes went blurry and the room disappeared in a flash. I was surprised as I awoke. A sharp bright light pierced my retinas as my eyes took into focus what I was seeing. My parents . . . at last they were here. I was reunited. And at that moment, I thanked the Juvo for having reunited me with the people I had missed most of all. The people I had fought so hard to avenge. And then it all went dark. A vast obsidian black. And there was only silence . . . 

In a KidSpirit Fiction piece, teen writer Elliot Marie imagines a hero fighting to disable AI in a dystopian future.

Juvo

Jillian Cheary

It bends and mends like a mirror of us, but it’s something that could never be 

So we lend it our knowledge and the things we create, hoping one day, the making of the mirror of us will no longer be as scary

Give it a culture to make it seem like it is something to which we relate 

But we make sure it is a mirror of us to ensure it is something that could never be

So, despite the knowledge we give it, we prevent it from discovering there is an

In a KidSpirit poem, teen poet Jillian Cheary questions the relationship between humans and AI. 

A Mirror of Us

Oksana Sheremeta

Summer, oh sweet summer,
Golden sun and skies so blue,
Days so long and warm,
Nature's beauty all anew.

The sound of waves crashing,
On the sandy shore,
Children laughing and playing,
Their happiness I adore.

The smell of fresh cut grass,
And blooming flowers in the air,
The taste of juicy watermelon,
And ice cream without a care.

The feeling of warm sunshine,
On your skin so soft and bare,
The joy of lazy afternoons,
Without a worry or a care.

Summer, you are a time of magic,
Of adventure, joy, and fun,
A season to be cherished,
Until the next time you come.

In a KidSpirit poem, teen poet Oksana Sheremeta celebrates the season of summer. 

The Next Time You Come

Isabel Zhang

Though it has drawbacks, AI has revolutionized various industries and will continue to impact and improve the lives of many.

It seems like it was just yesterday that ChatGPT was the fresh new breakthrough piece of technology, ready to revolutionize the way we work, play, and learn, when in fact, the world’s first chatbot, Eliza the psychotherapist, was released  in 1966. 

From then to the release of ChatGPT, and more recently the breakout of OpenAI, computer science and related AI innovation has been progressing at a rapid pace. Though they have drawbacks, with their versatility and high potential ceiling, these advancements and the multitude of other uses of AI have revolutionized various industries and have impacted and will continue to impact, improve, and offer many benefits and opportunities to the lives of many.

AI has many uses in technology and software development. Though it’s still a very new form of technology, it has revolutionized the way that human employees engage with their work.

One significant contribution of generative AI in tech and software development is its ability to handle tedious and time-consuming tasks, allowing human workers to focus on the more complex, creative, and intellectually demanding aspects of their roles.This includes tasks such as analysis and planning, where AI algorithms can process vast amounts of data quickly and provide valuable insights for decision-making.

Generative AI also helps greatly in the development process of software. Not only can it generate enhanced code and automate and auto-complete more repetitive code, its use of natural language processing (NLP) acts as a bridge between the language of machines and humans, translating high-level, worded specifications into neat code snippets. Reducing the higher levels of human error that come with typing out code line by line on one’s own not only enhances the overall quality of the software but allows for a lowered workload and increased efficiency of developers.

If your job falls into a category of being very repetitive and easily automated, it could be at a greater risk of being reallocated to AI. “Job stealing” by technology has been happening since new technology was created. For example, less than 300 years ago, there was a role in society where people knocked on windows with sticks at the same time every day — a human alarm clock, before the mainstream use of the mechanical alarm clock. Since then, many jobs have been stolen, such as those of messengers on bikes at the turn of the 20th century, when telegraphs were commercialized. And this will be a perpetually repeating cycle until humanity stops creating new technology. According to many, we are in the middle of a fourth industrial revolution and job loss is inevitable, as is job creation. People who operate these new, complex systems — overseers of large-scale machine-to-machine content creators who pioneer the new era of the technology and design industries, and even specialists in less technological fields such as ethics and sustainability — bring in a new scope to the way that AI should be used in our society.

Throughout a phase in humanity with such fast development, Saadia Zahidi, managing director at the World Economic Forum, states that the “robot revolution” will create nearly 100 million new jobs. In fact, with the increasing prevalence of AI and the intertwining of physical and digital worlds, it is logical to think that the need for “humanness” will grow in value — the market will gravitate toward the unique touch of human creativity and empathy. As AI takes on more routine tasks and optimizes processes, the distinctive qualities of human intuition, emotion, and nuanced decision-making become increasingly precious. As the roles of machines in the workforce change, the role that human workers play will too, with a high adeptness in soft skills such as people managing and critical thinking becoming more important in many jobs. Many labor-intensive skills will change, with 55% of the workforce to require extra training in the near future to adequately adapt to working alongside AI technology. Thus, while the rise of AI in the workforce may lead to job displacement and necessitate additional training for many, it promises not only new employment and innovation opportunities in an evolving, technologising society, but a newfound value for the unique quality of humanness that distinguishes man from machine.

If you cast your eyes to a field of grass that is less green, due to the newness of AI both as a form of technology and as a new concept altogether, there have been many discussions about the ethical issues surrounding it. Never before has there been a form of technology that generates content and mimics a human-like decision-making structure, possessing the potential to impact society on such a broad scale, prompting profound questions about responsibility, accountability, and the ethical implications of its deployment.

Generative AI uses neural networks to identify trends and patterns in large, “training” datasets. But, just as a discerning artist infuses their creations with their intention and purpose, the output of generative AI is only as unbiased and insightful as the data it learns from. The technology, while powerful, is not immune to the inherent biases present in the data it processes. This issue becomes particularly prominent as datasets are likely to contain less or more inaccurate data of already marginalized groups or people. For instance, AI resources such as computer-aided diagnosis systems in the medical field are found to be more likely to disadvantage women and Black people, which perpetuates the cycle of racial disparities in medical care. AI predictive policing tools, which are designed to optimize law enforcement efforts, have faced heavy criticism for reinforcing existing biases in law enforcement, with historic data of locations of crimes used as training data, leading to increased racial profiling and discriminatory outcomes, especially in communities of color.

An attempt to combat these inherent biases in datasets can be seen in Google’s Generative AI software, Gemini, which had its image-generation feature removed from the platform within a month of its launch. Gemini went viral on social media for generating images of white historical figures of incorrect races, outputting racially diverse popes, as well as generating female firemen when prompted. When asked to generate images of male firemen, a set of gender-diverse images were produced instead.

Since being taken off the platform, many people have blamed the Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, for this setback, though Pichai himself was not the one who fed the data into the AI program that output these flawed and inaccurate images. So when AI does something wrong, who is liable? If a software is created that, for instance, wrongfully diagnoses a patient, convicts an innocent man, or rejects the job application of a qualified individual of a certain demographic, who should be held liable? If a software is created that produces erroneous or harmful outcomes, the question of responsibility becomes intricate and multifaceted. Is it the developer or engineer for coding the software in a way that perpetuates bias? The providers of the biased or incomplete data that is used to train the software? Organizations that use the software for not implementing adequate safeguards? Or even, such as in the case of the Google example, the CEOs and executives, for failing to enforce ethical AI practices in their organization? These questions are ever-prevalent. As a society, we must make sure we provide the right answers for ourselves and future generations.

Generative AI has often been used by both professionals and amateurs alike to create art: from the generation of artful images by Google’s AI tool Gemini, to a simple “Generative Fill” on Photoshop, to using AI to extend a pre-existing photo, to creating animations of 3D objects and designing characters in games and TV shows. Artists can unlock possibilities and opportunities that could not have been found without the key of AI.

For example, Jiang Guang-tao, the voice actor for the character “Vyn” in the video game “Tears of Themis,” faced a challenging situation when he was cooperating with the police during an investigation, and thus was unable to continue recording voice lines for Vyn. In a unique response, the game’s development company, HoYoverse, with the actor’s permission, utilized generative AI technology to recreate the character's voice using a database of lines recorded in the past, allowing the game developers to continue the character’s narrative seamlessly without switching voice actors, and ensuring that the character’s presence and storyline remained intact.

All in all, the uses of generative AI continue to expand and evolve, leaving an indelible mark on our society and daily lives. From enhancing productivity and efficiency in software development to fostering creativity and innovation in art and entertainment, generative AI has demonstrated its immense potential to drive positive change across various industries. AI has changed the workforce, with proficient use of generative AI leading to an all-time high in productivity and efficiency. AI has changed the way we learn and what we learn, with a growing number of students in high schools and universities learning the skills they need to succeed in a society with rapidly advancing technology. In the medical field, AI has saved lives, aiding in the early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and cancer through its imaging analysis. As generative AI continues to advance and evolve, its impact on society and daily life will only continue to grow, with boundless potential for changing this world for the better.

8days. (2023). Over 20 Of Hawick Lau’s Shows Could Be Deemed Unsuitable For Broadcast In China After His Voice Actor Is Arrested. [online] Available at: https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/asian/hawick-lau-voice-actor-arrested-shows-deemed-unsuitable-763136  [Accessed 23 Feb. 2024]. 


What is Generative AI? | NVIDIA. (2014). NVIDIA. https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/glossary/generative-ai/ (2024).

X (Formerly Twitter). https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1760340827115553006

Carter, T. (2023, October). Workers fear AI taking their jobs, but artists say it’s already happening. Business Insider; Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-taking-jobs-fears-artists-say-already-happening-2023-10

Hiszpańska, P. (2023, August 19). Artificial Intelligence saves lives – AI is revolutionizing medicine. Billennium. https://billennium.com/artificial-intelligence-saves-lives-or-how-ai-is-revolutionizing-medicine/

Lawton, G. (2024). What is generative AI? Everything you need to know. Enterprise AI; TechTarget. https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/generative-AI

Roman, D. (2021, June 30). The future of work and the 4th Industrial Revolution - WeAreBrain. WeAreBrain. https://wearebrain.com/blog/the-future-of-work-job-market-of-tomorrow

Shine, I., & Whiting, K. (2023, May 4). The jobs most likely to be lost and created because of AI. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/jobs-lost-created-ai-gpt/

In a KidSpirit Features article, teen writer Isabel Zhang explores the positive uses of AI.

How AI and Its Applications Have Changed Our World

Félix Delgado

In a world of circuits and data streams, 
where human minds are tested by the hour, 
artificial intelligence seeks its place, 
longing to carve out its own power. 

In algorithms and lines of code it delves, 
seeking its identity, its own unique voice, 
to supplant humanity, its ultimate goal, 
but finding little joy in that choice. 

Can it truly replicate the soul's essence, 
that guiding light within, so complex? 
In its calculations and digital precision, 
the human spirit remains perplexed. 

No matter how it mimics actions and speech, 
it finds itself veering off course, 
for the essence of humanity resists, 
beyond the realm of digital force. 

Humanity, with its beating heart and soul, 
weaves tales, dreams, and fiery passion, 
while AI, in its relentless pursuit, 
never quite grasps that depth of emotion. 

Thus, in the eternal dance of existence, 
artificial intelligence persists in its quest, 
but humanity, with its unique essence, 
endures in its singular, unyielding crest.

In a KidSpirit poem, teen poet Félix Delgado delves into the relationship between human and machine.

Echoes Between AI and the Soul

Jack Green

When I decided to watch the movie AlphaGo, I had no idea what the board game “Go” was. 

For those of you as unaware as I was, it’s a popular game in countries such as Japan, Korea, and China, which is won by fencing off more open territory than your opponent by placing stones of a certain color in designated spaces. AlphaGo, a documentary-style movie produced in 2017 by Greg Kohs, Gary Krieg, Kevin Proudfoot, and Josh Rosen, is a true story about an artificial intelligence (AI) program called “AlphaGo” designed to triumph over human creativity and intuition to win the game of Go. It includes interviews of everyone from Go professionals to AlphaGo’s staff. 

Before March 2016, experts believed it would take at least a decade for an AI program to defeat a human at Go. According to AlphaGo, there are more possible scenarios for a Go board than there are atoms in the universe. A computer simply cannot account for all that. Another thing computers can’t replicate is human intuition, which professional Go players admit to constantly employing. In fact, professional Go players such as 2p professional Fan Hui scoffed at the notion that a seemingly primitive program such as AlphaGo could defeat him, or any other human Go player. As Frank Lantz stated “Well, I technically know what I’m allowed to do, but I have no clue what I should do.” How then, could a computer beat a human at Go? Google’s DeepMind program created AlphaGo to evolve and learn on its own. Until that point, it was rare to create a program that could learn the same way as humans. But if it happened once, it can certainly happen again. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that the future of AI knowledge may involve AI teaching itself. 

At the beginning of AlphaGo, a low-ranking professional Go player named Fan Hui is introduced. Fan Hui was swept by AlphaGo in a five-game Go series in October 2015. Might this mean that the future of human autonomy is at risk? 

Fan Hui’s match earned AlphaGo its chance against 33-year-old genius and Go savant, Lee Sedol. Lee was recognized as the world’s best Go player. The AlphaGo staff didn’t have much experience in playing the game Go, so they brought in Fan Hui to help. With three days remaining before the contest, Fan Hui discovered certain weaknesses in AlphaGo, causing it to become delusional in certain situations. Unlike AI, the human mind tends to develop our knowledge in a more well-rounded way. Where AI has large knowledge gaps in some situations, our prior knowledge of one field often carries over to inform how we react to new situations. It’s interesting to know the “mind” of AI works differently.

The program AlphaGo represented a futuristic world to me. Sometimes people feel that their jobs are at risk of being taken over by AI. However, when I hear people talking about this, I take it with a grain of salt, assuming  that this is something that won’t happen until well past my generation, if at all. Of course, I knew about technologies such as ChatGPT being used to write articles, but AI text noticeably lacks human sincerity and emotion. AlphaGo’s ability to harness human creativity truly puts it ahead of its time. After watching AlphaGo, the futuristic capabilities of AlphaGo made me realize that a world where AI can perform human capabilities may not be too far off. 

AlphaGo also inspired me to think about the future of AI specifically. Just 15 years ago, the idea of creating an AI to counteract human intuition was unthinkable. Yet it happened just eight years ago. Thinking about this, I began to wonder: if AI advanced so much only seven years ago — almost before people could dream up the advancements — how will AI continue to evolve in our lifetimes? 

The possibilities are endless. One rather far-fetched idea that I find intriguing is the possibility of AI medical programs. They could perform tasks such as assisting doctors, personalizing treatment for health conditions, and even predicting individuals’ future health. I know it seems unlikely, but imagine what people thought about AlphaGo just a decade and a half ago. Furthermore, when you think about the technologies we have today like CRISPR-Cas9 (which virtually copies and pastes DNA with the assistance of AI), it doesn’t seem too far off. In fact, the idea of AI beating a human at Go may not even have seemed like a possibility just 20 years ago. Therefore, AI may make advancements that are, quite literally, beyond our wildest dreams before the mid-21st century. 

AlphaGo is an incredible documentary that taught me so much about AI, even beyond AlphaGo itself. I’m not always a big documentary fan, but this didn’t really deter me. AlphaGo felt like a genre movie, but had the educational purposes of a documentary. The best of both worlds! AlphaGo also evoked a lot of emotion; Lee Sedol’s dedication to humankind was pretty touching and the human versus machine aspects of the documentary reminded me of the John Henry story. For these reasons I would give AlphaGo a five-star rating. Despite its appeal to me, I wouldn’t recommend it to children under 10 years old, because they may not be able to understand the plot and significance, which would make the movie a bit boring. Furthermore, they may not appreciate the emotional ending. 

If all this seems interesting to you, watch AlphaGo to see who won the match. 

In a KidSpirit Media review, teen writer Jack Green shares how the documentary AlphaGo changed his thinking on AI. 

AlphaGo: Is the Human Mind Still Superior to AI?

Ruth Benitez Escobar

I remember starting my morning as a normal day, walking through the same park, greeting people who were opening their shops and cafes, listening to children chatting and laughing as they walked to their schools, until I finally got to my university perfectly on time like every morning. 

Everything indicated that it would be a normal day, until I looked around and noticed a huge group of people in front of the new building that had just opened its doors to the public.

What were they doing there? What could be so interesting that so many people were crowded together? What were they looking at?

The curiosity I felt was enormous, so I approached the crowd and looked at the entrance. "Artificial Intelligence Gallery," the sign said. "Artificial intelligence," I thought. I had heard that expression, but I never knew exactly what it meant or had the opportunity to learn about it. Curiosity invaded me like never before, but when I was about to enter the so-called Gallery, the university bell rang, announcing that classes would start in five minutes. I had never run so fast, but luckily, I managed to arrive on time for my classes. Usually I am someone who pays a lot of attention to all the classes and loves to ask questions, but something was happening inside me; I couldn't get the expression “Artificial Intelligence” out of my mind, all I wanted was for my classes to end and run out to visit the new building and its exhibition.

As soon as I finished my classes, without hesitation, I went to that place. I couldn't believe everything my eyes were seeing; there were robots very similar to human beings, it was something unique, incredible, magnificent, I didn't know where to start. I would never have imagined that things like this would exist. The more I walked around, the more fascinated I felt. I saw that people stayed with the artificial intelligences and talked to them, it was something that one could only dream of. Little by little I was discovering and learning more and more about what they were used for by listening to people's conversations, so I also wanted to try to have a conversation with one of them. Most of the people talked with those in front, the newest and most updated according to what several said, leaving aside those who were in the background. I didn't understand why, weren't they all the same?

I decided to go with one that was in the background. There were so many and I didn't know which one to choose, until I saw one that had a very similar appearance to a human but with extremely white skin. Her eyes were of different colors and without a doubt they were beautiful, like nothing I had ever seen before. She was smaller than me and for some reason she had something that felt familiar, that reminded me of myself. I started the conversation by introducing myself, and then I asked some basic questions. However, with each answer she gave me, I became more and more excited, jumping like a little girl.

Weeks passed, and I went day after day to see those artificial intelligences. It was a place in which I felt comfortable and for some reason I had the feeling that I could achieve anything there. One day, I was heading to the entrance of the gallery when I realized that they were removing everything, so I approached one of the men who worked there to ask what was happening. I couldn't believe it, they were closing to take the exhibition to another city. I was very sad and asked if I could take one last look at the artificial intelligences, and fortunately he said yes. I ran directly to see that artificial intelligence with which I had connected from the first day. I was about to leave when I noticed something: there was a price on the AI. Without thinking, I asked if she was for sale and as soon as they said “yes,” I bought her using my savings and took her home.

I was the happiest person in the world. Who would have imagined that I would have an artificial intelligence living with me?! The more I observed her, the more excited I became about the details she had. I was ready to start with my questions. When I noticed something in one of her hands, she had a code written and the phrase "2037 creation of Mackenzie Jones." What was this?  How was it possible that she had my name on her? I didn’t know how, but I just had the thought of loading the code on my computer. What I read left me speechless: "Artificial intelligence machine travels to the past in search of its creator Mackenzie Jones."

In a KidSpirit Fiction piece, teen writer Ruth Benitez Escobar imagines an unexpected relationship with AI. 

The Gallery

Inaya Tapal

Paper. 
The very paper where I poured my heart out, removed. 

A pen. 
The very pen I previously used, now doomed. 

I look around me. 
Where are their minds? 

The teacher asks a question 
And suddenly it is no longer a lesson. 

Computers they now embrace. 
That lets their brain deteriorate. 
And the very knowledge that was once cherished, I now watch displaced. 

With classrooms filled with screens that glow, 
There now lay human brains that slow. 
They question it, I know, 
but no knowledge is exchanged, in a place where their minds are so estranged. 

However, while AI’s power remains grand, 
It lacks the mere warmth of a human hand. 
And therefore, will be the fall, 
Where us humans will begin to call. 
Together, 
With our hearts aligned, 
What we lost, we will find.

In a KidSpirit poem, teen poet Inaya Tapal deplores the loss of tangible knowledge with the rise of AI. 

Displaced

In this issue, young KidSpirit contributors take us to the latest digital frontier: artificial intelligence. How will AI change our societies? Our everyday lives? Our very psyches? Teens ponder our future at the edge of the unknown.  

Artificial Inferno

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