As the one-year anniversary of ChatGPT’s public release approaches, two Northwestern seniors have started an artificial intelligence club on campus.
Weinberg senior James Kuntz and McCormick senior Isaac Miller are an unlikely duo — with majors in history and computer science, respectively.
When ChatGPT came out last fall, it had an immediate impact inside and outside NU, Kuntz said. Then, earlier this year, he researched AI for a hedge fund in New York, which he says sparked his interest in the subject.
“I thought that it’d be super interesting to start a club on this,” Kuntz said. “I asked my friends about who would be a technical person who is extremely talented. Multiple people said Isaac, and so I reached out to him.”
Miller is pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science through McCormick and plans to go into software engineering. He said he is excited other students share his interest in AI technology: at least 225 individuals have expressed interest in the club and about 50 students attended the club’s first meeting, Miller said.
The Oct. 10 meeting, titled “The State of AI,” focused on recent developments in the field like neural network training. McCormick Prof. David Zaretsky, the club’s faculty adviser, gave introductory remarks alongside Brylan Donaldson, associate director of The Garage. NU’s Responsible AI Student Organization also discussed potential avenues for collaboration between the two clubs.
RAISO focuses on technology’s impact on the world and was founded in 2020 out of a meeting of the Technology, Race, Ethics and Equity in Education lab, an NU research initiative that investigates the social and ethical implications of new technologies.
Kuntz and Miller said their club, while primarily focused on entrepreneurial projects like technical research and startups, has already been in touch with the University regarding ethical AI usage.
“We’re talking to (the Generative AI Advisory Committee) to figure out how we can best be a liaison for students in setting policy,” Miller said.
The club plans to host guest speakers who work in academia and industry, and hopes to bring in NU alumni and community members. Its executive members also plan to teach small technical concepts and facilitate career opportunities.
Weinberg junior Varoon Enjeti said the club has been able to connect members with related projects around NU, including a breast cancer research project and co-hosting a hackathon at The Garage.
“This sort of engagement really embodies why we started this club,” Enjeti said. “AI has applications to almost every field, and we are looking to uncover these opportunities for students at Northwestern.”
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Twitter: @noracollins02
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