VIDEO: St. John’s University Students Teach High Schoolers to Use AI Ethically
JAMAICA — St. John’s University students shared lessons on the ethical use of artificial intelligence with Brooklyn high schoolers during an AI College Day event designed to show how the technology can support learning, research, and career preparation.
The Queens Catholic University welcomed students from Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School to campus, where St. John’s freshmen presented projects exploring how to use AI responsibly and effectively.
For 10th grader Adalin Dominguez, the event offered an opportunity to learn how artificial intelligence can be used as a tool for good rather than a replacement for critical thinking.
“I hope to see, like, oh, we’re able to use AI for good instead of just to use it for bad,” Adalin said. She added that she wanted to learn how the technology can help students without taking away from their learning.
Xavier Martinez, an 11th grader at Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School, said he already uses ChatGPT to help with essays and other schoolwork. He attended the event to learn how to use the technology more effectively.
“I would like to learn more how they’re using it and see if I can learn from it and use it more effectively in my school,” Xavier said.
The event also gave St. John’s students a chance to apply what they learned about responsible AI use to real-world situations.
Freshman Benjamin Shakov said his class was tasked with creating presentations about ethical ways to use artificial intelligence. His group focused on how AI can help job seekers improve their resumes.
With some employers using AI to screen resumes, Shakov said students learned how the technology can help applicants highlight their qualifications and make their applications stand out.
St. John’s professor Omar Lopez said teaching students how to use AI is increasingly important as the technology becomes more widespread.
Lopez compared the need to understand artificial intelligence to the early days of the internet, when some people questioned whether learning to use it was necessary.
“Just like when the internet first came out, you know, a lot of people were like, ‘Oh, I don’t need to learn that,’ ” Lopez said. “And then they found themselves on the other side, not realizing what they’re missing out.”
The goal, he said, is to help students understand how AI is intended to function as a tool, including for brainstorming and research.
Now in its third semester, the event has been so successful that organizers are planning a larger event this spring involving multiple high schools.