#AIAccelerator2020: AI can change the world — that was our focus and it is possible
by Sarah (15), UK
Hi, I’m Sarah and I am 15 years old!
For me, Teens In AI was something which I had never heard of until a week before the accelerator, and so I was going into this expecting to learn a few things here and there but I learnt so many new things each day.
I was able to learn from the mentors, from my teammates, from the speakers and even myself! I was intrigued by STEM beforehand, and as I kept progressing through each day I began to really love the whole aspect of AI and technology and I don’t think I would have been able to do that in any normal environment. I was nervous going into week one, because I didn’t have as much experience or knowledge as everyone else, sure I did some reading but I doubted how well I would be able to complete some of the tasks. However, all was well, the tutorials were so well explained and we got a lot of chances to do independent practice!
I only did software engineering, but that taught me a lot of new things and skills that I will practice in the future. This I can truly say is a programme for everyone, there was never anyone left behind, the support you can receive is such a beautiful thing and each talk is amazing! As we were put into our groups of teams, it got even more exciting and real.
There were so many challenges we had to overcome, from creating a problem statement to even solving it. The design thinking process consisted of a lot of real hard work, time, and passion; even if we don’t win my aim was always to create something to help make someone’s life easier, and I do feel that Hobbi8’s product/service does do exactly that! This week was one of the most inspiring and empowering weeks of my life, I did things I never expected to do, I interviewed real industry experts, and much more but I had my team with me! I would say that if you have the chance to even just learn about AI and technology go for it! It is being used all around us, and it can really be used to change the world — that was our focus and it is possible.
Our pitch:
I am so grateful to have taken part in this life-changing experience, and to have spent 3 weeks of my holiday doing this and spending my evenings in the socials playing games and watching movies. I am in disbelief as to how this is the end of the course, but I am leaving this with a fresh, confident, and motivated mindset! I could not forget these past weeks and I thank Elena for all of the love and passion she puts into this, it is evident that she really cares for the cohort. So as I end this, my main message is thank you and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for AI…
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For more information about the AI Accelerator: https://www.teensinai.com/accelerator/
