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Bay Area teen teaches seniors about AI
A high school student in San Francisco volunteering his time, bridging the gap between generations when it comes to artificial intelligence and technology.
SAN FRANCISCO - A high school student in San Francisco is volunteering his time by bridging the gap between generations when it comes to artificial intelligence and technology.
Jacob Shaul, 18, is a senior at University High School, and he founded Mode to Code as a way to bring free technology to everyone.
He held a session at Frank Residences, the assisted living and memory care facility, on Thursday.
The backstory:
Shaul started Mode to Code when he was a sophomore in high school, after he fell in love with computer science in middle school, and noticed a need.
"We kind of think it’s our responsibility as younger students who are using this technology on a daily basis and bring it to people who otherwise don’t have that same understanding," said Shaul.
An international movement
The Growth:
Now, his organization has grown, offering online classes for coding to students in a dozen countries, after-school classes for middle schoolers who might not have access to computers, and senior citizens who need extra support spotting cyber scams.
"He’s amazing, I would not guess he’s in high school," said Gabie Berliner, a senior citizen taking the class.
At Thursday’s class, he shared the differences between deepfakes and real videos.
"Little kids know how to do this and we don’t because we weren’t raised with it, so he made it much more comfortable," said Freddi Aks, another resident.
Shaul has taught six classes at Frank Residences, and the residents there said they look forward to his program every time. They said they feel more equipped to handle potential AI scams.
"It’s a way for them to stay connected to the outside world, like many of us they receive a lot of their information from their phones and from their computers, and keep in touch with their loved ones who might be in other parts of the world," said Rob Sarison, the executive director of Frank Residences.
The next generation of Mode to Code to be determined
What's next:
The senior students said the tech-forward teen has unlimited potential.
"He’s got a bright future," said Aks.
And it’s only up from here, as he prepares for college in the fall, where he will major in software engineering.
"I want to be a software engineer that really creates technology that benefits people and gives back to the people that need it the most," said Shaul.
Shaul said he hasn’t chosen a college yet, but when he does, he said he plans to take Mode to Code with him.
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