REBOOT Hosts Summit on Artificial Intelligence

REBOOT, a student-led organization that focuses on the ethics of the use of AI and other technology, held its annual summit last week. Welcoming students from Delbarton, Morristown Beard, Stuart Country Day School, and Oak Knoll, the REBOOT team leaders hosted a half-day of discussions, presentations, and podcast recordings. 

The day began with a session from Encode Justice, a student movement the Ethics Institute first encountered during the Empowering Voices Summit in Washington, D.C. Jia M., a member of the New York chapter of Encode Justice, led students through an interactive session about AI policy and advocacy, its potential benefits in areas such as healthcare and education, and its risks, including its use in warfare, potential for creating bioweapons, and the spreading of misinformation.

Karen Rezach, Director of the Ethics Institute, led a discussion with the group about some of the ethical topics discussed, exploring how students and teachers should think about using AI at school. Students considered how teaching should evolve with AI, when students should learn how to responsibly use and cite it with assignments, and if teachers could one day build AI models for their courses to help explain concepts further.

Student leaders of REBOOT discussed the work they are doing on Kent Place’s campus, highlighting how they help their community enjoy technology’s benefits with an ethical lens. They talked about recent assemblies, data collection, and Empowered Parent panels, and discussed their new website and YouTube channel. The conversations concluded with how students can create similar initiatives in their schools to explore the ethical impacts of technology. 

A group of students from all the schools recorded a podcast about how their school thinks about AI, their personal interactions with social media, and their thoughts on the recent TikTok ban. All will be released soon in QuickTap episodes as a part of REBOOT’s  “Tapping In” podcast. 

The staff who attended the summit also had a valuable opportunity to give their insights about how each school regards AI. 

“The AI summit sparked meaningful discussions among staff from various schools on the ethical implications of AI,” said Kimberly Pearson, Director of Technology at Kent Place. “It  provided a space to share progress and discover areas of growth, reinforcing our commitment to guiding students in a digital world.”

“It was a fantastic day,” said Dr. Rezach. “The student leaders from each of the schools were actively involved and engaged in conversation about the ethical implications of AI, and the questions that need to be asked now. The conversations turned into Action Plans for each school, as well as the new network of schools the students created at the summit. I look forward to the work these students will accomplish.”