The high school of today Students face an uncertain future. AI You can learn more about it here. changing The Trump administration has cut funding to the Department of Education, which is a major source of funds for the development and training sector. stalled scientific research across disciplines. Even in 50 years’ time, most professions are unlikely to be the same. Even those students who are interested in STEM The question is: How can I achieve my goals?
WIRED talked to five high school seniors from across the country about their interest in STEM—and how they’re making sense of the future.
The comments below have been edited to make them shorter and more concise.
AI Development Needs This Generation to Lead the Way
The interest I had in AI was sparked in junior high. What really hooked me on AI was its relevance to everyday life. It was interesting to me how many people used ChatGPT, as well as other LLMs in their academic lives. It was used unethically by some people on assignments or tests, while others created practice problems. The main reason that I was interested in it is because of how quickly the technology evolves. This technology has a huge impact on our academic world, so it is important that we are at the forefront when it comes to its development.
As my school is a maths and sciences academy, I was able to do independent research on LLMs. My main focus was on how LLMs could sometimes give away private information in an indirect way. Imagine you asked it to code a piece for you that required an API Key, which would be sensitive data. As it is trained with a large amount of data, an API Key could be in that data. You will receive code and possibly the API key. The most successful research I did was to develop an algorithm that would cut off the private bits of data when it trained, so as to prevent them from being spewed out during usage.
AI is an evolving field, so if you can get a foothold in it now, then we could see its results when we are older. It’s important for me to be able to comprehend its security. Especially since it is used by almost everyone. It’s important to me that I am at the front and have a say on how my data will be used.
I’m currently applying to undergraduate programs and am also considering some unconventional routes where I can go directly into a field. A degree in computer sciences is not always necessary. If you possess the required skills, you can get by without one. Then I started looking for other options. —Laksh Patel, 17, Willowbrook, Illinois
Communities can help improve access to health care
Both sides of my family have a long tradition where women develop neurodegenerative disorders, primarily Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. My childhood was spent treating the matriarchs of my family, caring for them, and watching their illnesses progress. My interest in the diseases and their progression grew as I learned how to help people in my family, my community and who did not have medical resources due to income.
My love of patient care has grown, because I can help a person at a time when they are suffering. After the deaths of my female relatives, I became aware how rapidly these diseases spread. They were also detrimental without appropriate medicine. As I entered high school, my research began to focus on gaining a basic understanding of the field. This would allow me to start college as soon as possible to help as many people as I can.
