Can Kids Really Use AI Safely? (Middle School+)

Diya Wynn, Responsible AI Lead at Amazon Web Services, takes us on a remarkable journey from her childhood in the South Bronx to becoming a technology leader championing fairness in artificial intelligence. Her story begins with a pivotal moment at age eight when, after receiving a basic computer as an academic achievement award, she declared she wanted to be a computer engineer—a path that would shape her entire professional life.

What makes Diya's perspective so valuable is how she demystifies AI for families. Rather than presenting artificial intelligence as some futuristic concept, she helps us recognize how it's already woven into our daily lives through search engines, streaming recommendations, and customer service interactions. This familiarity makes AI more approachable for both parents and children navigating today's digital landscape.

For children curious about future careers, Diya offers reassuring guidance. As AI continues changing the job landscape, she emphasizes developing timeless human capabilities—critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and effective communication—that will remain valuable regardless of technological evolution. Her message inspires young listeners to approach technology with curiosity rather than fear.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

• Amber invited kids (through their parents) to share stories or be guests.
  Email: contact@aidigitales.com
• Diya described her role leading Responsible AI initiatives at Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS Responsible AI page: https://aws.amazon.com/ai/responsible-ai/
• Code.org – Free coding lessons and AI-related activities. https://code.org
• PartyRock by AWS – A fun, no-code way to create generative AI apps. https://partyrock.aws
• Google AI courses for beginners (referenced as free learning resources). https://ai.google/education/
• Microsoft Learn (free coding & AI training modules). https://learn.microsoft.com/training/
• Data Science Camp (DMV area) https://datasciencecamp.org

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome Back to AI for Kids
• 4:44 Meet Dia: From Early Tech to Responsible AI
• 9:44 Childhood Influences and Computer Beginnings
• 18:12 Understanding Responsible AI for Kids
• 21:57 AI's Impact: Jobs, Learning, and Screen Time
• 29:19 Using Technology Responsibly and Safely
• 33:49 Cool Projects and Career Insights
• 39:19 Final Advice and Staying Curious

Transcript

Amber Ivey: 0:29

Welcome to the AI for Kids podcast, the podcast for moms, aunties and teachers who want the kids they love to understand AI without more screen time. We keep it simple, safe and fun, no tech degree required. Each episode breaks down AI ideas and includes activities to help kids use AI in ways that keep them curious and creative. No pressure, no overwhelm, no extra screens, just clear, engaging learning you can feel good about. Let's get started. Welcome back, everybody. I hope you enjoyed your summer.

Amber Ivey: 1:03

This is Amber Ivey with AI for Kids and we are back for season three of the AI for Kids podcast. Our goal here is simple we try to make artificial intelligence, aka AI, safe and fun to learn about, and I'm your host. Amber Ivey, did you have a good summer break? I hope you got to meet some new friends, learn something new and maybe even try some AI tools this season. I really want to hear from you If you've tried out AI, like chatting with a robot, building a robot, building something with code, or even asking Alexa a cool question. I would love to have you on the podcast. Ask a grownup to send me an email at contact at aidigitalscom. I'll also make sure it's in the show notes. Tell me your name, what you did and what you'd love to talk about.

Amber Ivey: 1:49

Now let's jump into the season. Hi everyone. Welcome back to AI for Kids. Today we have an incredible guest. Please welcome Diya Nguyen, the responsible AI lead at one of our most interesting tech companies. I'll let her tell you more about it. Diya, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you started working with AI?

Diya Wynn: 2:08

Good afternoon everyone. Yes, I am Diya Nguyen, I live in Maryland and I've been in technology for over 25 years, so a long time ago when we were just getting started with the internet. I know that doesn't make sense to some of you, but and I started working in AI actually because of my sons. So I have two boys and I was very interested in thinking about the things that we could do to make sure that they were learning and getting all they needed in order to be able to get jobs in the future, and I didn't think schools were doing a great job. So I started researching and exploring things and, as I did, there were a couple of things that they were talking about that were trends, like shaping the way that we would be working in the future. One of those was data and saying that data was driving everything and data-driven organizations.

Diya Wynn: 3:04

And then they talked about AI and robots, and we always equate robots to AI, for whatever reasons, I guess because of the media. And then it was the metaverse and like virtual reality, 3d worlds, and one of the things that I found as I was doing that research was it was really absence of voices that looked like my sons and we actually are seeing disparate or problems that occur when you don't have the voice and perspective of everyone included, that these systems sometimes aren't doing things that are beneficial to everyone, that they might actually cause them harm or cause them not to have the same access or opportunity. So I wanted to be a part of doing something about that, and I work for a big company, amazon, on the technology side at Amazon Web Services, and so we have this really cool process where we can present new ideas. They call it Think Big and I presented my idea and got it supported, so they funded it for me to start some new work around responsible AI for our customers.

Amber Ivey: 4:13

Oh, wow, that is so cool. Some of my friends work for Amazon, so I remember hearing about the idea of Think Big. I've never seen anyone actually successfully pitch something, so it's so cool that you were able to think about what was the future. You're able to identify a few places that would make sense for you and then go to your current company to say, hey, invest in me, invest in this thing. I love that and I love that you were able to do that where you are currently. I want to go way back to when we were younger. What was your favorite subject when you were a kid and did you always love technology or the idea of technology?

Diya Wynn: 4:44

So my favorite subject was math and I was really good at math. I don't know why I loved math, but probably because I was good in it Maybe. I mean I did pretty well in most of my classes. I really was a bit of a nerd actually, and I know that. I say it's not a bad thing. I tell my sons it's not a bad thing, but not everybody wants to be called a nerd. But I loved math and it was a lot of fun, even though in later years it got harder to do and I decided that I was going to be in technology. So, oh wow, I guess I've always been interested in technology.

Amber Ivey: 5:21

In the third grade I was eight years old the cool thing about that is that you had the foresight or whatever it was to like know that's something you wanted to work. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why so?

Diya Wynn: 5:34

it would be. Like you know, wonder Woman has that truth telling lasso, the ability to make people tell the truth. I don't like being lied to, I guess. So I think you know I think the truth works best. So if I could force people into the truth, I think it would make it easier to be able to do some things we want and to be able to navigate relationships a little better.

Amber Ivey: 5:56

There you go. If we ever figure that out with AI, please let me know so I can buy one. We're going to buy one right, right Immediately.

Amber Ivey: 6:04

So let's go back to what you said earlier. You said in third grade you knew you wanted to be in technology. In third grade I knew I wanted a snack, so we were very different levels. But I also learned that you received your first computer in third grade and you decided to be a computer engineer very early on. Can you tell us how did that happen, like what made you think you wanted to do that in third grade, at eight?

Diya Wynn: 6:26

It's honestly I don't know when I think back at that time. My mom was a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher. My grandmother was a teacher. I come from a family of teachers and engineering wasn't something, or computers wasn't something, that they promoted to young girls or young kids in the hood. I grew up in the South Bronx, so it's not like they were talking about those kinds of careers at all.

Diya Wynn: 7:08

I had never seen anyone that was in technology and for women it was like you could be a homemaker, you can be a teacher, having high achievement scores and reading and math on the standardized tests, and it was an award very basic computer in comparison to the kind of technology we have today. And I said I wanted to be a computer engineer. And and there we go. So I've been in technology ever since. I set that emotion. You know some people say like you speak things into existence, you call those things, you manifest them is another way. That was kind of what happened for me. I never knew anyone who was a computer engineer until later in my years, so I don't know where I got that phrase or whatever from, but it was the exposure to the computer that piqued my interest and that's what created what you know has happened to me today, that Iiqued my interest and that's what created what has happened to me today, that I've been in technology and those that I've been in all my life, all my professional career.

Amber Ivey: 8:02

That is so amazing and one of the reasons why I wanted to do this podcast was for that reason. So kids, that age they say the 5% of brain or something like that develops by the time a kid is five. Then there's that other age five to, I think, like 11, where there's like this mastery that can come with you using things like computers or doing activities and having skill sets that you have at an early age that if you're doing a really good job at those at that age you're going to be further along than someone who is my age trying to do it, even if I put in more years of time because the time you did it, and I think that's even testament in your example, because you were able to get it early and you never left that field. Can you tell us, like what were some of the things you were doing on your first computer, any favorite games or programs?

Diya Wynn: 8:48

Listen it was. When I say basic, it was basic. So there was like a rectangle stick on one side and a rectangle block on the other side and it hit a square-ish ball in brown and orange color because we didn't even have full color at the time. So yes, I'm that old, we didn't have full color. So I mean that was Pong, if anyone's heard of that. It's very simple. I mean it literally is like shapes on a screen. Oh yeah, that was basic and we could make colors run across the screen and hello, world type. That would run print lines, you know, multiple times or in horizontals across the screen. It was very basic, very basic, but it was fascinating to me and I love what you said, amber, because it is the exposure.

Diya Wynn: 9:39

I tell kids all the time be open to new ideas like try stuff right. This opportunity for me exposed me to a world I didn't know and that changed my world right. It changed my idea, my perception. I think that's true for students as well, that once we, you know, take advantage of opportunities, we get introduced to new things. It opens a world for us that we might not have known, that you could possibly embrace and do something new or do something different.

Amber Ivey: 10:08

That's so true and thank you for saying that, because it's so important for kids, like you said, to get early exposure, for you to even know it's an option you get in that computer, open your mind to a career. That's amazing, and now you're able to share it with others and as well as like how you're thinking about you're interacting with your own kids, like it just has such a follow-on effect that I'm glad you were able to highlight. One of the things I think that's cool about your career is that you want to work, or you work to make sure AI treats everyone fairly. Can you talk a little bit about what responsible AI is Like? Literally, what is it and why is it important for kids to know about?

Diya Wynn: 10:44

Yeah, so it's exactly what you described. I mean I could use a whole bunch of big words, but in reality it's doing the work kind of policing the systems to make sure not just the systems but companies too to make sure that the technology is safe, that it actually doesn't harm people and, ideally, that it's something that all of us could benefit from. A lot of our technology is created by people that don't have the same perspective or don't have some of the lived experiences that we do, so they don't see some of the things that could be harmful. Or and I don't think a lot of times it's people being mean or bad, it's just they're not thinking right and they don't actually. They get the luxury of not having to think about some of this stuff sometimes, but the way that AI is being used now in so many different businesses applications in you know, getting money, funding resources, healthcare we want to make sure that that stuff isn't going to be harmful and that we can get the same benefits that everybody else does.

Amber Ivey: 11:50

So true. When kids are thinking about that, how does that directly help them? Or how should I think about it as a kid, when I think about harm with AI and why it matters to make sure it is responsible and it does do the right thing?

Diya Wynn: 12:06

Yeah, I think for kids it's, you know. I mean, a lot of our students are on social media and so some of the things that are happening with kids on social media is that sometimes people, adults are not always being kind in, you know, in circles, and they can do things to try to attract kids. So they'll use the technology in ways to be able to do that, to convince kids to engage with them. They're getting smarter about that. I think the other thing is that because we put so much information on the internet, sometimes someone will take that information, create a fake voice or a fake video and imaging of you and they can actually try to get ransom and money from your parents or someone that you love, because they're saying that that's you and they know so much about you because we, you know, you told them where you are and so they could say well, you're in Virginia and I'm having problems and I need money right away.

Diya Wynn: 13:00

Right, that's harmful ways in which people are using the technology and that's happening a lot right now. But it also in some of the games and even in our virtual reality games, like in the metaverse, et cetera. Right, we're doing a lot to make sure that AI is underneath all that stuff too, but trying to make sure that people interacting feel safe and aren't harmed and there've been cases where you know inappropriate interactions in those environments that we want to safeguard from our children as well, so that they don't get depressed, they're not feeling bullied. All that is a part of it too.

Amber Ivey: 13:34

That's so true, and one of the things that you mentioned around, like just the voice and the amount of things we share online, I didn't realize how young you could be online nowadays, cause when social media came out first like it was restrictions on it Like think about Facebook it was for college students. Then it opened up, then it was like 18 and older, but now I'm like you can go on these sites as a teenager and, yeah, 13,.

Amber Ivey: 13:57

It's wild to me that age is so young, but, to your point, people can. Because of that, we're now putting out videos, voice pictures, all these things that AI can be trained on, or you can plug those things into an AI to manipulate them or use them so that, like you said, people can literally get a phone call from you thinking that you've been kidnapped, when you're at home in your room or downstairs, your mom's at work getting a phone call that she'd been kidnapped and then transferring money to someone Like. We've heard a lot about that happening in the recent times. So thank you for calling it out, because I think that's just something kids have to be aware of.

Diya Wynn: 14:29

Another example that happens is sometimes like the kids will take and share images with one another and somebody will like change your face or make it you know an inappropriate image of you and then start sharing that out as well, and a lot of that's happening because we can now do that much more easily with AI and those you know really can ruin people's reputations and create a lot of conditions of harm and embarrassment as well. Those are similar kinds of situations where we want to make sure that we can teach people you know ways in which to hopefully not do those kinds of things, but also you know for that there are laws that stop people from doing it too, so that our children and our adults aren't harmed.

Amber Ivey: 15:13

Speaking of laws, I do want to talk about that as well. So I know you travel the world and you talk to everyone about AI and you even get to meet with people who make the law or lawmakers. What do lawmakers have to do with this and why is it important that you talk to them about topics like AI?

Diya Wynn: 15:30

Well, so the interesting thing is that our lawmakers most of them aren't technologists. They don't. They didn't get hired right for their jobs in you know the Senate because they knew technology. It was because they knew politics right or supposedly cared about the people in their state or their city. So a lot of times these lawmakers are senators and are governors. They have no idea what the technology really is. They're ignorant in that way.

Diya Wynn: 15:58

So a lot of our conversations are just about like trying to help them understand the ways that technology really works, not some of the stuff that we hear, you know, online or in social media or on the news, because sometimes those things aren't true, but help them really understand how it works and to talk about the things that are realistic, that we can do. You know, if we start to create laws like like what can we do to be safer and and those sorts of things. So I mean it's important, because what I was just describing, like if you take somebody else's picture or image of them and do something harmful, well, we want that to be unlawful. Like that, you get in trouble for doing that. You can't do that. So that's something that we, you know, we talk about, that they should be creating in laws to make sure that we protect people.

Amber Ivey: 16:46

Yeah, Because right now, like you said, if I went into politics because I wanted to make the world a better place or help people and I didn't go to school, I not like you, where I've had the experience of understanding computers. In that way I'm just trying to do a different job, but now I'm having to create laws around something that I fully don't understand. So I'm glad people like you are there to talk to them.

Diya Wynn: 17:08

Yeah, we want to be their partners to help them understand that and hopefully come out better Like everybody comes out better because they have a better understanding and we hopefully get some of the laws that we ultimately want them to have so that we're safe.

Amber Ivey: 17:20

I really appreciate you for doing that. So I want to shift it a little bit. So you have been involved with computers for a while. How can kids start creating their own technology and not just using it? For those who are creators, who are saying, hey, this computer is great, I'm glad I have a cell phone or whatever, but I want to do more, I want to create my own technology. What are some of the things that you would share with them?

Diya Wynn: 17:44

Yeah, I think so. It's so easy, right, and I'm saying that but it's much easier than it used to be to be able to get access to some of the tools that you need to be able to make technology, and so I would encourage students to try. So there is Codeorg, and our company has something called Party Rock that lets people try and try to create generative AI apps. We work with Codeorg and do a lot with them in terms of teaching and educating students. There are so many different now free programs as well that students can get online. I know Google has some courses, microsoft does too, right All with the intention of giving people skills, and now you can do things with just like drag and drop to learn how to program first and then get more advanced. So I would encourage them, if they have an idea, try it out.

Amber Ivey: 18:38

That's such a good point because how coding language has evolved, how it's gotten easier, there are coding languages that have been able to basically skip steps from, like original codes whether it was C plus or et cetera where you can literally do like you said. There's also like no code sites to help you understand the whole process. So I appreciate you for calling that out. I want to take a quick break to do a fun segment. So we do a quick game called Tech Trivia. I'm going to ask you some fun questions about technology. They're going to be pretty quick, so I need you to answer as quickly as you can. Kids at home make sure you also play as well. If you don't get them right, that's totally fine. So no pressure. But we'll start with. What does NLP stand for?

Diya Wynn: 19:20

Natural Language Processing Awesome, okay, great Natural language processing.

Amber Ivey: 19:24

Awesome, Okay, great. First question down, Okay. Next one is when was the first algorithm created or at least credited with this creation?

Diya Wynn: 19:36

Oh, that I would say in the 1950s. I don't have the exact year, I think it was 52.

Amber Ivey: 19:52

So the first algorithm was created in something called the analytical engine in 1843. But also to point out algorithms at least from what we understand of them, as algorithms in general have been around for literally hundreds of years. So that one, I'm like that's a hard one to answer, because math what was this algorithm doing? So technically, ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm and Charles Babbage used it in an analytical engine in 1843. Ah, thank you, and hopefully we all just learned something, because I learned something in looking for this answer. But it's just cool to see the evolution of this technology and it's cool to be talking to someone who's been able to see some of the evolution as you started your career so early in technology.

Diya Wynn: 20:29

Amber, you know I tell people all the time like there's nothing to be afraid of because we use it every day. We just don't realize that every time we write an email, a text message, we call customer service. So, true, right, we like decide what we're going to watch on Netflix, we purchase things online, like. All of that has AI underpinning. I mean, every time we use a search engine. Right, it's. We've been working around and using AI for a very long time, and so those are the examples that I call out as well, to help people remember, or at least know, that it's been around you and you've been using it. So there's less to fear, things for us to be concerned about, but less to fear.

Amber Ivey: 21:07

And speaking of concerns, we know technology can both help and harm people or harm. Whatever system is working, and if it's not people, animals, climate, whatever it is we have, there's adverse reactions that happen with technology. Can you tell us about some of the good things and bad things, particularly about AI, that you're thinking about on a regular basis?

Diya Wynn: 21:28

Well. So one of the bad things I think about is you know, what do we need to do? Because we know that people's jobs will change, right, or that some people will lose their jobs because now AI can do things that are routine and repetitive, but it also now is moving into the area of creativity, like being able to create new things words, poems, music, art, right, and so how is that going to disrupt people that have those jobs today? And that's one of the things that I think about and also talk to people about, like having actual plans and paths to be able to re-skill or train people so that they can be prepared for something new or something else, and that we just don't have a bunch of people that are unemployed. I also think a lot about one of the good things I'll share is that I just see it as being an opportunity to level the playing field. What I mean by that is make things a little fairer.

Diya Wynn: 22:24

Who haven't always had opportunity in the same level of access you mentioned, like having no code? Well, before, only the people who could have money could get trained and go to school to be able to learn AI right. Now it's a lot easier that we have so many other free programs and opportunities to be able to learn that. So that means that I don't it's not resigned to just the rich or affluent or people that go to certain schools that now can learn this. Other people can as well, but then that also turns into things for education. You know what happens when I now can give everybody a similar learning experience, irrespective of the fact that you have ADHD or you might be dyslexic or whatever, and I can make that much more aligned to how you learn in your class, and we're doing that more with AI and looking for other ways to give people personalized learning experiences that can help them.

Diya Wynn: 23:24

Those are the things that I think are really good, because it helps give space for people that often have been underrepresented or under-served. Hopefully think that that also creates better opportunity for us to have more equity, for things to be fairer for everyone. One other area of concern I have is just how much AI is being used and that we keep getting more and more sucked into this digital world where we aren't talking to people and interacting with people more, and I just think that that is so important for us. We actually need it. So I know sometimes we might be comfortable, and our kids are comfortable with being on their phones all the time and talking to people on a screen or through their headsets, but there is something that is so valuable about us being able to be in connection and conversation with people in person and we still need that. So I think about that a lot too.

Amber Ivey: 24:22

You said a lot of different nuggets. I want to pull on a few threads. So one thing you mentioned was around just careers, and things are going to shift. People ask me all the time is AI going to take my job? I have an answer. I don't know if it's the right answer, but the question I want to ask you is if I'm a kid growing up in this society and in reality I don't know what the jobs are going to be in the next, say, I'm 10, 12 or whatever I don't know what the jobs are going to be in the next eight to 10 years. What is the best advice you give your two sons or kids like that, who are trying to think about careers and how to navigate a world where we don't know what careers are going to exist in the next 10 years?

Diya Wynn: 25:01

There are a couple of things One is I talk about, like you know, we used to go to school and some people went to schools like to get these technician jobs right so I can help with x-rays and be a technician, you know, in radiology, or a legal secretary or legal aid right. Well, those are the kinds of things that AI can do. It can do that easy. It can scan through and read those images, read the x-rays, pull out insights, send those back to the doctor we're still going to need the doctor, we won't need the tech right. Or the same thing with back to the doctor we're still going to need the doctor, we won't need the tech right. Or the same thing with, like the legal aid We'll need somebody to represent in law right, the lawyer but the aid or that secretary may not be as useful.

Diya Wynn: 25:43

So that's something to think about, like some of those lower level or entry level roles sometimes that are supporting but have much more mundane things, might be displaced. But then the other thing that I would say is like what do I need to know then? Like what can? Well, we don't know with jobs, but having critical thinking is important, being able to solve problems, like so that problem solving, being emotionally intelligent, like being aware of your surroundings, how you impact and interact with people I was talking about that before Really really important. Good communication, good writing, skills like those things never die right. And that actually is going to be a good foundation for you to move into some of the other opportunities as we figure out what they will be.

Amber Ivey: 26:33

That's such a good point and I love that you mentioned things like problem solving skills, communication like being a human right, the thing that a computer unless there's AGI in the future, a computer can't fully get those things right now right, so I think that's so important. But you also mentioned earlier the thing around the screens and how people are on social media all the time, on FaceTime, things in our ears, listening getting all this input in. How do I, as a young person who's growing up in this technology world and that's all I've known navigate also being able to have good communication skills and the other things you mentioned? What are some things I should think about when I interact with this technology?

Diya Wynn: 27:13

I think it's exactly what you said, like navigate yourself off.

Diya Wynn: 27:19

One of the things I did with my sons and they didn't like it at the beginning but they're used to it now because they've always had this is that during the school week we don't do technology unless it's specifically for their assignment in school, but then they get off their Chromebooks or whatever and they're not on social media until three o'clock or 3.30, whatever the end of the school day on Friday and then they dumb out until Sunday.

Diya Wynn: 27:41

But we try to limit that time so we force them into opportunities where they have to do something else. Now, hopefully the students that are listening here don't have to be forced, but you actually take breaks away and you plan time to like sit with a friend or to have a conversation or to go to Six Flags and be around people and interact. I think those things like stepping away from it and there are lots of things now that are helping to track our screen time and all that kind of stuff, or helping to track our screen time and all that kind of stuff Anything that we do in excess leads to error. So we should think about that, like with technology, but anything generally that we need to like have some balance there.

Amber Ivey: 28:22

Oh yeah, I appreciate you saying balance. I think even the parents who are listening are also like, yeah, I need to do it myself, but I do get that. It's hard because they grew up in it. But I love the fact that you said, even if it's not during the school week, and then they're able to engage in it in a way that's appropriate so that again they can learn those other skills that you mentioned. I think that's just so important. So thank you for calling it out. I did want to ask another question around just technology usage for kids. What are some simple ways kids can make sure they use technologies in a good way? Back to the whole idea of responsible AI how can I, as a kid, make sure that I am also contributing to responsible AI and responsible tech?

Diya Wynn: 29:02

So the first thing I would say is don't trust everything that you read or that you receive or that you hear online. So many people can create stuff. I just got a message from it was like my phone company and it wasn't them right, but somebody texted me Anyway. So there's so many ways that people are creating fake stuff is the point. So that don't believe everything you trust, but verify. You check. You check your sources, you check the information. You want to actually double check to make sure that information that you're receiving is actually real.

Diya Wynn: 29:34

I wouldn't click on links unless you know where the source is, and you can always look in your email or at the links and if they look a little strange or you don't know the sender, just be very, very careful with that.

Diya Wynn: 29:44

That's not AI, that's just technology in general. But I think the big thing is like don't trust everything that you read and hear. Verify your sources, you know. Check a couple of other sources before you share or that you assume that it's, you know, the gospel truth.

Diya Wynn: 29:59

And the other thing I think is you know, be careful about, like, what you share, distribute and send around as well, so that you make sure that you may not be introducing or sharing something that may be inappropriate and or harmful. And then the other thing is, if you're using these systems most of them, like if you're using any public apps today, a lot of those have, you know, an interface for you to be able to provide feedback. If you see, like, the responses are wrong or it's not truthful when you know you found out, or you think that, like you see a result and it kind of is a stereotype and it's not truthful when you know you found out, or you think that, like you see a result and it kind of it's a stereotype and it and it's actually harmful, you make you feel a certain way that you provide feedback. That's something that you get to do, but it also helps the systems and those teams improve the way that that that technology is operating and functioning I love the feedback response.

Amber Ivey: 30:50

I love everything, everything you said, but the feedback piece I hadn't thought about or heard before and I'm like, oh yeah, that's a good point for kids to use that and to think about what it means to test but verify, or check but verify, because we tell the kids to check their work when they're doing math or whatever Same thing here. I love that Like check your work, check what you did, check the response, check the AI's work to make sure you have exactly what you need. But that's really good.

Diya Wynn: 31:16

And don't copy everything word for word. Please don't, don't, don't, don't. I know there's like a rule of thumb. Just like we used to do, I used to have to go to the library and open up Encyclopedia Britannica. You all don't have those books anymore, but we would always be told that you can't like copy word for word from the dictionary or from the encyclopedia. Don't copy word for word from any chat interface that you use or any generative AI you want to like review it, make it your own, make adjustments to it, but never copy it exactly as it is.

Amber Ivey: 31:52

Thank you so much for all these nuggets, like you were just making me literally reframe how I think about AI, cause a lot of times we're like AI, is this thing that so different?

Amber Ivey: 32:00

But in reality, you're literally applying common sense things that we have learned growing up, particularly in our generation, that we can also apply to this generation, cause I know I'm on a few different web forms where I listen to parents talk about their issues when it comes to digital technology and you see all this fear and all these things. But some of the things you just called out today are very much so common sense principles. They are aware of them. Just apply it to this tool and you've made it so easy for people to understand how to take this tool that seems new, a little bit scary and apply literally things that we know and we do on a regular basis with other areas of our life. So I really appreciate you for bringing that perspective, because definitely need it and it also helped me to reframe how I think about these things and how I talk about these things to people. So I really appreciate that. Can you tell us about a project or something cool you're working on that you may want to share with the kids who are listening in.

Diya Wynn: 32:55

Something cool is that I'm changing my idea I was going to give you about a video game that I was working with. You're trying to create safer spaces for the students to connect in the video game. You know there's a lot of grooming that can happen in these environments. So using AI to like, scan conversations and better understand, like connections and the ages of those individuals, to hopefully root out people that might be trying to get to students that shouldn't be. We need that, get the players that shouldn't be and try to create more safer connections. So that's something cool. It's a video game platform and we're doing that for.

Diya Wynn: 33:37

But I was gonna say, like, one of the cool things is working with this data science camp. So we're getting ready for another year. I think this is gonna be the 11th year that the data science camp has been around and it'll be the first year that I'm working with them. And the reason why I think it's cool is because the part that I like is a sports science camp and we have one of the former NFL football players that is a, you know, sponsor of that, and so the kids get to like be around the football player and like that. I think a lot of them think that's cool, but it's also fun because you get to see how data and AI is actually shaping sports, and for a lot of our students they like sports. I do too.

Amber Ivey: 34:20

There's another interview I was having with someone where we talked about how kids often think that AI and sports don't go together, or math and sports don't go together, but they literally do, like so many pieces of sports it's like everywhere so much it's like Everywhere.

Amber Ivey: 34:34

To be a great athlete and also to have, like math or these other, skill sets can even enhance it even better. So thank you for calling it out. How can kids get involved with that? Like, what's the age group for the data science camp? I'll also put it in the show notes, but any other information? Oh yeah.

Diya Wynn: 34:50

So it's data science camp, data science camporg, and yeah, so it starts mid July timeframe two weeks and it's a matter of them signing up and it is for those in the DMV because they do. We do have in person sessions as well as virtual. Well, one of the in person stuff. Stuff is pretty cool because we get to do things like take them to the skill center and they go to Bowie State University and some things as well. So it's pretty cool. But students from ninth to 12th grade, so high school students- Nice, I love it.

Amber Ivey: 35:26

So look out for that, check it out in the notes. So whenever you get to be that age, or if you're already there, make sure you sign up for that camp, for sure. I want to ask another few fun questions. So, instead of going through through your bio in a way that kids may not want to hear it from us, we do something called two truths and a dream. So basically, you'll share two true facts about your life and then one dream job that you had potentially wanted to be when you were a kid. So two facts about your life that are related to your career and then one dream job, and then I'll have to guess, as well as the kids at home, which one is a dream.

Diya Wynn: 36:02

I worked for planning the Obama inaugural ball when he was elected. Okay, I got to guest lecture on responsible AI in Ireland.

Amber Ivey: 36:18

Okay.

Diya Wynn: 36:18

Oh, wow.

Amber Ivey: 36:19

These were good either way.

Diya Wynn: 36:22

And I traveled to Africa to teach computers and technology.

Amber Ivey: 36:28

Okay, so kids think at home which one of these is the fact and which one's the dream job. The first was helping to plan Obama's inaugural ball. The second one was teaching a responsible AI class in Ireland. And third was going to Africa to teach computer and technology classes as well. Let me think so. When you said the Obama one, I was like did she give out her dream like real quick in the beginning. So I was like, but then I also believe you would actually have done that. You're local in the area that could possibly happen Responsible AI. I was like I don't know if you've been to Ireland, but I know you travel the world Also with the Africa and the continent example. So those two you could have just changed the place to trick me. So I'm going to say I'm going to say the inaugural ball is the one.

Amber Ivey: 37:19

Is which that's the dream.

Diya Wynn: 37:22

No.

Amber Ivey: 37:23

Inaugurable is the dream.

Diya Wynn: 37:24

No, I did that Because that's amazing.

Amber Ivey: 37:27

I hope y'all got it right. Which one was the wrong one?

Diya Wynn: 37:31

Travel to Africa and teach computers and technology. That's my dream, one of my dreams.

Amber Ivey: 37:36

Got it. I thought you were trying to play with our minds by taking it a little bit slower so I can trick you. I did not figure that out and I also know you travel a lot of places, so I didn't know if that one was wrong or right that was good.

Diya Wynn: 37:49

Yeah, I did get to go last year. Last spring I got to teach in Ireland so it was pretty cool, but I'm still trying to get to Africa.

Amber Ivey: 37:58

Well, hopefully someone here hears you, and we actually have a presence on this podcast in South Africa, but it's just so random as some of the folks that are listening, which is also great, so I love it, but hopefully you get to Africa. The content in general, and thanks for playing that and I'm sad I got it wrong, but I too Didn't figure that one out. So, kids, I hope y'all got it right. We have a few more questions before we close out. So, before you go, do you have anything, any advice you want to share with kids who want to learn more about AI and how they can use technology more responsibly?

Diya Wynn: 38:32

You know, I think the biggest thing that I would say is try it. I hope that our students are not afraid of AI. As you mentioned, a lot of our students have been growing up with technology and been using it most of their lives, or if not all of their lives. I have nieces and nephews that started like as toddlers holding the phone, so I'm sure that most of your students are probably like that as well, so hopefully they're not fearful.

Diya Wynn: 38:56

But I would just encourage them to be curious, to continue to try explore, be open to new ideas, because I think that is what's going to help create the world of opportunity ahead of them, and I think one of the best sources that I've mentioned, I believe, is Codeorg. They do some really cool things, have some, you know, like little learning paths, et cetera, that folks can engage just in terms of like getting started, even if they don't want to explore some of the other options or do searching on their own. There's quite a bit there, so I just hope that they all would be like really interested, eager. I really hope that this inspires some folks to want to study and and go into technology as well, because we need more people to be in those rooms. We need their voice and, oh, I guess the only other thing I could say is, if somebody wanted to connect with me, they can feel free to reach out to me directly on LinkedIn and I'd be happy to respond and answer any questions or help if I can.

Amber Ivey: 39:56

And we will definitely drop that information in the show notes so y'all don't have to worry about going and finding that. Thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciated the time talking to you, and thank you to all our listeners for tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe to AI for Kids and stay curious. Bye everyone, Thanks. Thanks for having me no problem. Thank you for joining us as we explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Don't keep this adventure to yourself. Download it, share it with your friends and let everyone else in on the fun. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. See you next time on AI for Kids.