What is it like to grow up as an "AI native?" Will the next generation be able to harness artificial intelligence for social good, or will creativity and logic deteriorate?  

These are a couple of questions that a Code Girls United panel tackled in Whitefish on Aug. 27.  

Code Girls empowers young girls to be problem solvers in the daunting age of AI, but panelists agreed that there remains a responsibility for the community to foster safe and positive use. 

Code Girls Director Marianne Smith said the organization teaches three rules about AI in their statewide programs. 

"AI is not your friend. AI is not always correct, and AI is a mirror that's going to tell you what you want to hear," Smith said.  

Smith noted that many students are using AI for good.  

"It is so positive when kids have power to create something that they couldn't imagine," said Melissa Dunning, Code Girls development director and moderator for the discussion.  

Smith said that a team of girls from Browning won a congressional app challenge last year using AI.  

"They had an idea about what they wanted to change in their community – which was mental health – and they were able to create an app and use AI within the app to help them," Smith said.  

Code Girls students Sylvia Blair and Katie Valentine joined Smith and Dunning for the panel, alongside Two Bear Capital founder Michael Goguen. Blair is a sophomore at Whitefish High School and Valentine is a freshman at Glacier.  

The elephant in the room is that coding used to be the "golden ticket," Goguen said.  

However, even if society runs on AI-generated code, "there has to be somebody who understands it," he said.  

Goguen said that with curiosity, imagination and logic, AI, when used properly, can be "your oyster." 

Both students said students use AI to gather information, research and make study tools.  

"The biggest misconception that adults have about how our generation uses AI, is that we just use it to cheat," Blair said. "Which, there definitely is a potential, a bunch do. But there's also a certain level of entertainment value to it – which is good or bad. There's a lot of information searching. There's also a pseudo-social connection, which is a problem."  

The study "Belonging in a digital age: Teens, tech and third places" found that the majority of teen respondents agreed or strongly agreed that chatting with a chatbot is easier, more convenient and emotionally safer than a real person, and that chatbots can help with loneliness and make up for a lack of physical spaces to connect.   

Blair said, "Maybe using social media for social connection has pre-adapted teens to use AI for social connection. This is the next step, maybe. A solution could be more social connection with a lack of digital devices around." 

Two days into her freshman year, Valentine noted it is hard to make new friends.  

"You have to push yourself. And I have seen some people not try. And I know it is easier online," she said. "I do admit I have messed around with [chatbots,] but that's because my friends were bored, to see what really happens – they're really realistic, they have whole bios. 

"It's not good for you. You need a real human connection."  

Blair suggested that AI could be trained to recognize when a user is becoming dependent on AI for social wellbeing, and maybe the AI could encourage that person to get out more.  

Valentine agreed but said that the community has a responsibility to help young people connect with others.  

"I feel like there should be some restrictions," Valentine said. "At the base of it, human beings are a little bit lazy. If there's an easy path, we're probably going to take it... it's just running free."  

Smith said even adults have a problem trying to draw the line and not anthropomorphize AI. Kids have fewer defenses to do that, she said.   

"It is up to the community, teachers and parents, to get more involved with how kids are actually using their devices," she said.  

Panelists agreed on the premise of having a "spark" to guide the proper use of AI in learning processes.  

"We need to do our own research. Because that actually boosts your brain," Valentine said. "If [students] are not interested in it, they're just going to want the answer. But if they are, they're going to want to know everything." 

Blair said, "I don't think there would be an issue with AI decreasing our youth's capacity for innovation and creativity, if there wasn't such an incentive for just using AI to get a raw answer."  

Blair said part of the solution lies in incorporating AI into the classroom.  

"We've talked about how there's a lack of education in Montana, being a rural state," Blair said. "Possibly what Code Girls could do is similar to what the Nate Chute Foundation has done, with putting together a curriculum for mental health for elementary through high schools. There could be a curriculum that Code Girls could offer."  

Code Girls recently developed an AI Academy, which is available for free on YouTube.  

"We are aiming to teach mostly younger kids," Valentine said. "You know, what is AI, how to use AI, little games to show examples."  

Smith added, "It's fun. We have ethics panel discussions. We talk about data centers, and the impact that AI is having from [the girls] perspective."  

Smith added that there are only two certified computer science teachers in the state.  

"We [Code Girls] are the largest computer science educator of teachers and students in the entire state." 

Code Girls has 38 programs across Montana. Programs combine in person and hybrid learning activities and students meet once a week after school. Registration is open for the fall until about mid-October. See https://codegirlsunited.org/registration/ for locations and to register. 

Editor Kelsey Evans can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.