The Student Take on AI

For the challenge, students evaluated food access, volunteer experience and operational efficiency, all aspects that the food bank manages daily. Throughout the day, students learned to use AI as a partner in the brainstorming process, rather than outsourcing the work to it. 

"What we saw through the competition was that a lot of the students are familiar with AI tools, but they need to be guided," finance and accounting sophomore Aadya Yadav said. "They benefited from the input of the industry experts and talking to working people about the problems that the Houston community is facing." 

HCAISS, led by president and management information systems senior Camila Oropeza Llindis, started after Oropeza Llindis and other students expressed interest in the Human-Center Artificial Intelligence Institute to its founder and Executive Director Meng Li. After connecting with Li and learning more about the institute, they officially started meeting as a group last spring.  

"I think that we're well suited for teaching about AI because we're from the generation that was born knowing how to use technology; It's second nature to us," she said. "Our parents' generation was in their early 20s or late teens when they first started learning about new technology. It comes naturally to us." 

Inspired to shift people's viewpoints on AI, the organization plans to host several speakers and events on campus, engaging their peers and Houston area middle and high school students.