This is a linkpost for my Harvard Crimson op-ed for its commencement issue. I will not reproduce the whole text here, but my advice to the class of 2026 is in the following parts:
My advice for the Class of 2026 is to embrace AI as a technology, but treat it critically as citizens.
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Throughout your time at Harvard, you received[mixed signals]on whether AI was to be avoided or carefully used in approved sandboxes. My signal to you is clear: make sure to master AI and use it as much as you can. Whether your degree is in English or Computer Science, you should be using not just ChatGPT, but also Claude Code, Codex, and products from cool startups I haven’t heard of. Ask yourself how you can use AI to realize ambitious projects that would have been impossible last year, or even last month.On the other hand, using AI does not mean exempting the companies that build and use it, as well as the governments responsible for regulating it, from account. You have a right and a duty to make your voice heard in how this technology should be used to maximize benefit for humanity. You should educate yourself on both its benefits and risks. In my view, some of the latter (such as
[water usage]) are overblown, while others (such as[concentration of power]) receive too little attention. But you should make your own mind, and even if you oppose AI deployment,[still use AI]to advance your case.AI can be extremely empowering for those who possess initiative, creativity, and vision, even if they lack experience or capital. I believe that over the coming years, we will see teams of a few young people achieve results that previously would have required large companies with hundreds or thousands of employees. I wish for you to be one of those people.