The D-E Student Committee on Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), advised by Chief Innovation Officer Diana Gross, recently hosted the Student Summit on AI in the STEM Building. The event brought together students from schools such as Newark Academy and Kent Place “to foster a broader collaboration across our New Jersey and New York community,” said SCAI student leader Reya Shah ’27. The program included welcome remarks from Ms. Gross and SCAI Co-Chair Anna Ibargüen ’26, and a “fireside chat” with D-E alumni Alex Koren ’12, who works on Applied AI at Anthropic; Brian Zhang ’15, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT; and Mike Kopko ’03, CEO of Pearl Health. “They shared insights into how quickly AI is developing right now, but also emphasized the importance of being thoughtful about how it’s built and applied,” said Reya, who moderated the panel discussion. The rest of the day consisted of student-led breakout sessions on topics including understanding task switching in language models, the environmental consequences of the data-driven age, and exploring emotional attachment to algorithms. “One of the biggest takeaways for students was the idea of using AI responsibly; this includes understanding its limitations, being aware of bias, and using it as a tool to support learning rather than replace it,” noted Reya. Added Anna: “AI is one of the biggest changes in technological innovation right now and will be present as we enter the workforce and for the rest of our lives… It’s so important that D-E students are learning how to use it so that they can meet the challenges of our changing world.” Thanks to everyone who had a hand in organizing this successful AI summit!
