POLICY FOREIGN GREAT DECISIONS - THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR COLLECTED EDITION
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GREAT DECISIONS
1918 • FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION HIGH SCHOOL
2020–2021 SCHOOL YEAR
FOREIGN
POLICY
MATTERS
THE 2020–2021 SCHOOL YEAR
COLLECTED EDITION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Letter from the Editors:
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic
3
shut down schools across the country,
we at the Foreign Policy Association
wanted to support teachers as they MODERN
ENSLAVEMENT
11
transformed the way students learned.
FPA pivoted its outreach to provide
classrooms with interactive articles
that engaged students in foreign affairs
and current events. This collected
edition gathers the first five issues
of the Foreign Policy Association’s
Great Decisions High School, originally
published during the 2020-2021
school year. Together, they represent
a snapshot of some of the foreign ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
19
policy issues that made the biggest
waves during an especially historic
and tumultuous year, a time when it
became dramatically clear that these
global issues are more crucial than ever.
We hope that through these articles,
and through our Great Decisions TV
series. a new generation of leaders will
be inspired to face the world’s most
THE
COVID -19
pressing concerns head-on. This year,
we look forward to bringing you and
PANDEMIC
your classrooms more content, and we
27
look forward to partnering with you.
Eliza Edel McClelland
GREAT DECISIONS
Executive Editor: Eliza Edel McClelland
Managing Editors: Elliott Rebhun,
Josh Gregory
Writers: Josh Gregory, Michael Burgan, Sandy
IMMIGRATION
Ong, Isobel Whitcomb, Melissa McDaniel
Design: Kathleen Petelinsek, The Design Lab
35
Photo Editors: Cynthia Carris Alonso,
Erin Paxinos
Fact Checkers: Melissa Wohlgemuth, Tonya Ryals
Cover Photo: Shutterstock
Special thanks to: Noel V. Lateef, MacDara
King, Cole Kitchen, Tonya Leigh, Aja Melville,
Brandon Ramirez, William Dratch, Elliott Rebhun
GREAT DECISIONS
1918 • FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION HIGH SCHOOL
N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 0
CLIMATE
CHANGE
As the ice in the Arctic
melts, it’s harder for polar
bears to hunt for seals.
The planet is getting hotter.
The polar ice caps are melting.
Ocean levels are rising.
Floods and wildfires are more frequent and often more intense.
Plant and animal species are disappearing.
People are suffering.
HOW DID WE GET HERE, AND
WHAT’S THE PATH FORWARD?
BY JOSH GREGORY
Students at a climate
change protest in San
Francisco in 2019
Fabrice Florin/Fickr
A NEW GENERATION FIGHTS TO
SAVE THE PLANET
C
ould your hometown be the most recent ice age 12,000 years to climate change. And we won’t
uninhabitable in 50 or ago, Earth’s climate has slowly been have to wait 50 years to see
100 years? Scientists fear growing warmer. climate change’s impact: Most sci-
that entire cities that once stood But since the Industrial Revo- entists believe that climate change
safely on dry ground could be lution, the average temperature has is already increasing the intensity
permanently submerged in the risen much faster, by a little more and frequency of catastrophic
decades ahead. Intense heat waves than 2°F, with two-thirds of that weather events like hurricanes
and massive wildfires are also increase since 1975. The two warm- and wildfires.
deadly threats, as we’ve seen in est years ever were 2016 and 2019, Scientists also say that the
states such as Oregon, Washington, and September 2020 was the hottest longer we wait, the harder it gets
and California in recent years. on record. to ensure humanity’s future. Young
The culprit is climate change , A couple of degrees might not people around the globe have heard
which is a slow change in global sound like a big deal, but it is: A the message and are taking action.
or regional climate patterns, such drop of just 1 or 2 degrees sent the Elizabeth Maruma Mrema,
as temperature and precipitation, planet into the last ice age, and a the Tanzanian leader of the United
over a long period of time. (You’ve couple of degrees of warming could Nations Convention on Biological
probably also heard the term be enough to make Earth largely Diversity, summed it up for The New
global warming, which refers to uninhabitable for humans. York Times: “We still need this planet
just one aspect of climate change: The primary cause of the to live on,” she said, “and we still
the increase in Earth’s average rising temperatures? People. Many need this planet for our children.”
temperature over time.) of the things we do every day—
For millions of years, Earth’s from eating and driving to texting *Weather and climate: Weather is what’s outside when
climate* has cycled between warmer and working in factories— you open the door; climate describes the weather
conditions that are expected in a particular region at
and cooler periods. Since the end of contribute directly or indirectly a particular time of year.
4 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • C L I M AT E C H A N G E
2 Much of the sun’s 3 Greenhouse gases trap some
energy is reflected back of that reflected energy in
toward space by clouds, the atmosphere, warming
oceans, snow, and land. the planet further.When too trees for timber and to make room
much energy is trapped, the
result is global warming. for homes, farms, and mines—also
contributes to climate change.
ENHOUSE GASES
G RE Trees and other plants naturally
absorb carbon dioxide. Fewer trees
means less carbon dioxide gets
absorbed, with more making its
way into the atmosphere.
Of particular concern is defor-
1 E
nergy from the sun heats
Earth and makes it habitable. estation in South America’s
Siberian Art/Shutterstock
Amazon rainforest—an area so
vast it’s known as “Earth’s lungs.”
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT At the current rate of deforestation,
more than a quarter of the Ama-
Why are they called greenhouse gases? Because they work like greenhouses: zon’s trees could be gone by 2030.
Greenhouse gases let sunlight through while trapping heat in the atmosphere.
YOUR BURGER . . .
GREENHOUSE GASES Fossil fuels and deforestation aren’t
What’s causing Earth’s climate the only climate change culprits.
to get warmer? The answer is In fact, high on the list is . . . your
invisible greenhouse gases, such hamburger. After carbon dioxide,
as carbon dioxide, methane, and the most common greenhouse gas
nitrous oxide, which make up is methane, which is primarily a
some of the atmosphere. byproduct of raising livestock. To
We actually need a certain put it bluntly, the methane comes
amount of these greenhouse gases.
They act like the glass panes of a Livestock produces
Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock
greenhouse, trapping heat from the 15% of the world’s
sun and making Earth warm enough
to support life. greenhouse gas
But the amount of greenhouse emissions.
gases in the atmosphere, especially
carbon dioxide, has increased THE DEBATE
significantly in the last 250 years.
Most of the increase is a result of SHOULD THERE BE LESS RED
humans burning fossil fuels like MEAT IN SCHOOL LUNCHES?
coal, oil, and natural gas, which are YES NO
used to heat and cool homes and educing demand for red meat
R illions of students love
M
schools, in electricity generation would help cut greenhouse having burgers for lunch.
and manufacturing, and to power gas emissions from cattle. Red meat is a good source
cars, planes, and internet data A quarter-pound burger of nutrients like vitamin B12
centers. (They’re called fossil requires 65 square feet of land and iron.
fuels because they come from the for grazing and feed crops. Modern cattle operations
remains of fossilized plants and Eating red meat increases a are much more efficient and
animals, such as dinosaurs, that person’s risk of cancer, heart environmentally friendly than
died millions of years ago.) disease, and diabetes. they used to be.
Deforestation—harvesting
NOVEMBER 2020 5
from cow burps and farts! In California’s 8,500-mile coastline.
Earth is now home to 1.4 billion Death Valley in The second major way
cattle, all frequently eating—and melting polar ice harms the Earth
constantly digesting. The U.N. says
August, it hit is that the ice stores greenhouse
these animals produce 15% of the 130°F, which may gases. As it melts, carbon dioxide
world’s greenhouse gas emissions. be the highest trapped inside is released, adding
What’s the carbon footprint of temperature to the greenhouse gases in
your quarter-pound burger? Accord- the atmosphere.
ing to a 2012 study in the scientific ever recorded.
journal Animals, it’s about 4 pounds more frequent flooding that destroys WILD WEATHER
of greenhouse gases. homes, farms, and factories. Climate Heat waves, hurricanes, floods,
change could eventually create droughts, and wildfires have
MELTING ICE CAPS millions of “climate refugees ” all increased in frequency and
One of the most serious effects of who have been forced to leave their strength in recent years. Summer
climate change is the gradual melt- homelands. 2019 saw record temperatures
ing of the polar ice caps The world’s most vulnerable around the world and in August
in the Arctic and Antarctica. coastal city is Miami, Florida, 2020, it was 130°F in California’s
The melting ice harms Earth in according to Resources for the Death Valley, which may be the
two major ways. First, it causes ocean Future (RFF), a non-partisan highest temperature ever recorded
levels to rise. From Houston and research institute in Washington, on Earth.
New York to the South Asian nation D.C. Indeed, RFF says that 300,000 An intense summer heat wave
of Bangladesh and the Marshall homes, 30 schools, and four in 2020, combined with an equally
Islands in the Pacific, many places hospitals will be at risk in the next intense drought, left the forests on
are feeling the effects , including 20 years in Florida, which has an America’s West Coast primed to
John Locher/AP Images
September 11, 2020: Desiree Pierce at what’s left of her home in Talent, Oregon, after massive West Coast wildfires in
California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. “I just needed to see it,” she said, “to get some closure.”
6 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • C L I M AT E C H A N G E
RUSSIA
ASIA
comes from coal, down from 31%
ARCTIC
North Pole
OCEAN EUROPE in 2017.
Alternative energy sources
SEA ICE such as wind, solar, hydropower,
and nuclear don’t produce
Greenland
greenhouse gases. They’re playing
Alaska
a growing role in the U.S. and
world economies, accounting for
PAC I F I C AT L A N T I C
20% of U.S. energy consumption
OCEAN CANADA OCEAN
in 2018.
Advances in technology
NORTH and government incentives are
AMERICA Sea ice in
September 2017 encouraging that growth. Some
UNITED
STATES
Sea ice average governments offer tax breaks
each September
from 1989 to 2010 for using green energy. Electric-
and hybrid-car buyers often get
Shrinking sea ice in the Arctic causes ocean levels to rise, releases carbon tax breaks and can use high-
dioxide stored in the ice, and threatens polar bears and other wildlife. occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
Governments have also raised
erupt in flames. In California, by in spring and forms later in the taxes on fossil fuels, including gas
mid-September, an area the size of fall due to warmer temperatures, at the pump (see Debate below),
Connecticut had burned. changes in bear habitats and food to make them more expensive and
Higher global temperatures sources are endangering their discourage their use.
heat not only the air but also existence. In 2015, representatives of
the oceans. Hurricanes get their many of the world’s nations
power from the evaporation of hot, WHAT’S BEING DONE met in Paris to sign a landmark
moist ocean air, so warmer oceans Most responses to climate agreement to combat climate
may mean more frequent storms. change involve decreasing the change and move toward a
And since warmer air can hold use of fossil fuels, especially coal sustainable, low-carbon future.
more moisture, storms may dump and oil, and increasing the use of The goal is to limit the global rise
significantly more rain, which can alternative energy sources. There’s in temperature in this century to
result in more severe and more already been real progress. For between 1.5°C and 2°C. The U.S.
frequent flooding. example, about 20% of the pow- is one of 189 nations that have
er generated in the U.S. in 2020 signed the Paris Agreement.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Climate change is also a threat to THE DEBATE
countless species whose habitats
and food sources are shrinking. SHOULD WE RAISE GAS TAXES?
Close to 7,000 of the more than YES NO
120,000 species currently tracked If driving were more expensive, • People will still need to drive,
by the International Union for people would drive less. even if gas costs more.
Conservation of Nature are Higher gas taxes would • It would be a hardship for
critically endangered. encourage the purchase of people who already struggle
The most poignant symbol fuel-efficient vehicles. to pay to fill up their tanks.
of species threatened by climate Higher gas taxes would • Climate-change costs should be
change may be the Arctic’s polar encourage carpooling. borne by fossil-fuel companies.
bears. As sea ice recedes earlier
NOVEMBER 2020 7
Global CO2 Emissions WHAT YOU CAN DO • Buy a car that gets good mile-
by Country Doing something about climate age. If you can afford it, buy an
change doesn’t need to be left to electric or hybrid car.
governments, corporations, or even • Calculate your carbon foot-
adults. Here are some simple ways print (how much carbon dioxide
Rest of
the World China you can help on a daily basis: is released into the atmosphere
30%
30% • Turn off lights and unplug from your daily activities) and
devices when you aren’t using try to reduce it.
them. • Write or call your elected
%
n 4 5% • Eat less red meat and waste officials to let them know what
Japa a USA
ssi 15%
less food. Americans throw out you think.
Ru
India European
7% Union
25% of their groceries, and food • Vote, when you are old enough!
9% decomposing in landfills emits With few exceptions, you can’t
Source: FPA; T.A. Boden, G. Marland, R.J. Andres (2017). methane (just like cows!). vote until you’re 18, but in many
National CO2 Emissions from Fossil-Fuel Burning,
Cement Manufacture, and Gas Flaring: 1751–2014, • Bike, walk, take public states you can register at 16 or 17,
Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy transit, or carpool instead and you’ll be all set when 18 rolls
Data is from 2014, the latest available. of driving alone. around.
In Congress, a resolution
known as the Green New Deal
was introduced in 2019. It calls
on the federal government to
dramatically reduce greenhouse
gas emissions as part of a “10-year
national mobilization.”
There are, however, questions
about the economic impact of the
Dave Granlund/Politicalcartoons.com
Green New Deal and efforts to
combat climate change in general.
Millions of jobs in the U.S. are
connected to traditional energy
sources—both their extraction
(e.g., oil and gas drilling and
coal mining) and their use (e.g.,
powering cars, homes, schools, THE DEBATE
and factories).
Concern is especially high in SHOULD THERE BE A NATIONWIDE
the top states for the production BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS?
of coal (Wyoming, West Virginia, YES NO
and Pennsylvania) and oil (Texas, lastic bags are made using oil
P lastic bags are more sanitary
P
North Dakota, and New Mexico). and are difficult to recycle. than paper or cloth bags.
Green New Deal proponents say Americans use a billion plastic Many people feel single-use
it will create millions of jobs in bags a year, with only 1% plastic bags offer protection
green technologies and rebuilding recycled. against COVID-19.
the nation’s infrastructure—such Plastic can take decades, even Plastic bags are inexpensive,
as roads, public transit, and centuries, to break down. even when used only once.
buildings—to run on green energy.
8 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • C L I M AT E C H A N G E
TEEN TRAILBLAZERS
Greta Thunberg at a climate protest Jerome Foster II
outside the White House in 2019 at a 2019 climate march
in Washington, D.C.
Graeme Sloan/SIPA/AP Images
Streetsblog Denver/Flickr
“I want you to act as if the house is Felix Finkbeiner
on fire,“ says 17-year-old Swedish In 2007, when he was in fourth
climate activist Greta Thunberg, grade in Munich, Germany, Felix threatened. Goldberg is continuing
“because it is.” Finkbeiner learned about climate her work with NASA as a
Thunberg’s 15-day Atlantic change and deforestation. He freshman at Stanford University
voyage to address the U.N. tried to help by planting a tree at in California. She’s also helping
Climate Action Summit in his school and encouraging other develop a program that lets K–12
New York in 2019 helped make students to do the same. He classes use satellite imagery to
her the world’s most famous then took his effort online with study climate change.
young climate activist, but she plant-for-the-planet.org, which
has plenty of company. Here are has encouraged the planting of Jerome Foster II
three examples: 12 billion trees around the world. While he was a high school
student in Washington, D.C.,
Liza Goldberg at Liza Goldberg Jerome Foster II founded The
NASA’s Goddard As a middle-school student in Climate Reporter, an online
Space Flight Center Maryland, Liza Goldberg did magazine focused on the youth
in Maryland in 2017 a science fair project on the climate and environmental
effects of climate change on movement, and led weekly protests
red-maple saplings that caught as the local youth organizer for
the attention of a judge from Global Climate Strike. He also
Tony L. Sandys/The Washington Post/Getty Images
the National Aeronautics and founded and serves as executive
Space Administration (NASA). director of One Million of Us,
She then began interning on a a nonprofit that’s trying to get
NASA research project that 1 million young people to vote in
uses satellites to monitor the 2020 and works for several causes,
health of mangrove forests and including climate change. Foster
helped create a system that alerts is now a freshman at Columbia
scientists when specific forests are University in New York.
NOVEMBER 2020 9
THE BACK PAGE
Mike Luckovich
THE GRIM REAPER AT YOUR DOORSTEP?
1. Which does the man in the cartoon see as a bigger threat: climate change or the coronavirus? Do you
think most people would agree with him? Do you agree? Why or why not?
2. Do immediate threats like the global pandemic overshadow the need to address other critical issues like
climate change? Is it possible to address both short- and long-term issues at the same time?
3. With so many people staying at or close to home because of the pandemic, there was a sudden decrease in
greenhouse emissions. Do you think that offers any lessons for the fight against climate change?
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TO MAKE GREAT DECISIONS
1. If you could make just one change in how we live or in government policy to address climate change, what
would it be? Why did you choose this particular change?
2. Do you think addressing climate change should be society’s top priority right now? If yes, why? If not, which
issue or issues seem more important to you, and why?
3. YOUR STORY: Has climate change impacted your life in any way? If yes, how so?
KEY WORDS & TERMS GREAT DECISIONS
CLIMATE CHANGE
alternative energy greenhouse gases Executive Editor: Eliza Edel McClelland
Managing Editor: Elliott Rebhun
carbon footprint Green New Deal Writer: Josh Gregory
climate ice age Design: Kathleen Petelinsek, The Design Lab
deforestation Paris Agreement Photo Editor: Erin Paxinos
Fact Checker: Melissa Wohlgemuth
fossil fuels polar ice caps Copy Editor: Melissa McDaniel
global warming weather Cover Photo: avstraliavasin/Istockphoto
10 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • C L I M AT E C H A N G EGREAT DECISIONS
1918 • FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION HIGH SCHOOL
F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 1
MODERN
ENSLAVEMENT
A WORLDWIDE
PROBLEM
TRAPPED
AT WORK
HOW CAN
WE FIGHT
BACK
A six-year-old boy in
Bangladesh works in a
recycling facility, where he
is paid about two dollars
for 8 to 10 hours of labor.
TEEN TRAIL-
BLAZERS
Millions around the world are forced to work dangerous
jobs for little or no pay. Many of them are children. And
it might be happening closer to home than you expect.
BY MICHAEL BURGAN
WARNING: THIS ISSUE CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE UPSETTING TO SOME READERS.FREEDOM DENIED
To harvest cocoa, workers
must split open the fruit of
Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images Reportage
the cacao tree and scoop
out the valuable seeds
inside. In countries such as
Ivory Coast, pictured here,
this difficult labor is often
performed by children.
W
hen you unwrap a money for their families. But other stores, where your family might pur-
candy bar, you’d young people are forced to work on chase them without ever knowing
probably rather think the farms for little or no pay. They how they were made.
about how good it will taste than fall prey to human traffickers—
wonder who picked the cocoa beans people who seek to make money A GLOBAL ISSUE
used to make the chocolate. But you off the forced labor of others. In Forced child labor is just one part
might be surprised to find out that in the cocoa industry, some traffickers of a much larger issue. Human
African nations such as Ghana and convince parents to let their chil- trafficking and what is called
the Ivory Coast, where cocoa is a dren go to work at a young age. The modern enslavement occur in rich
major crop, farmworkers are often parents often don’t realize that their and poor countries alike. The word
teens under the age of 16. In some children will face long work hours “trafficking” usually means that
cases, kids as young as five have and potential injuries, with no time something is being moved from one
been found working on the farms. to pursue an education. In other place to another. But human traffick-
Many of these children live cases, traffickers simply kidnap ers often find victims in their own
in impoverished areas, and some children and sell them to the farms. towns, and relatives might even take
willingly take the jobs to provide In 2020, as many as 1.6 million advantage of family members .
children were involved in produc- It can happen to anyone, anywhere,
ing the world’s cocoa supply. And from any walk of life.
that’s just one industry. Around the Human trafficking includes
world, more than 4 million children several categories. One set of defi-
are currently being forced to take on nitions for this crime comes from
dangerous jobs, such as working in the Trafficking Victims Protection
mines or factories. The goods they Act, which became a U.S. law in
Some chocolate products are certified help make include clothing, toys, 2000. Trafficking can involve using
Realimage/Alamy
to meet “fair trade” standards. These foods, furniture, and leather prod- “force, fraud, or coercion” to recruit
standards aim to encourage better ucts. Like chocolate, some of those an adult or minor for labor. Under
conditions and pay for workers. goods end up on the shelves of U.S. U.S. law, any situation involving a
12 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • M O D E R N E N S L AV E M E N TExploitation Types Among Identified Victims
of Trafficking, 2005–2016 (by percentage) Neighbors passing by a home
100%
FORCED LABOR where domestic servitude takes
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION place might never think anything
80% BOTH
OTHER* strange is going on inside. After
60% all, many families with money pay
full-time housekeepers or nan-
40% nies to live with them. But under
domestic servitude, workers are
20% virtual prisoners in the homes.
As a teenager growing up in
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Brazil, all Natalicia Tracy wanted
*N
OTE: “Other” includes forced marriage, military service, low-level criminal activity, and trafficking for blood, organs or other body parts was to get a good education. When
Source: IOM Human Trafficking Global database, 2017.
a family she nannied for offered to
In recent years, forced labor has overtaken sex trafficking as the most common take her with them to live in the Unit-
form of modern enslavement. ed States, she jumped at the chance.
There, she thought, she would have
minor in paid sexual activity is also PRISONERS better opportunities than in Brazil.
considered trafficking. Additionally, IN THE HOME Instead, Natalicia found herself a
because minors cannot legally con- Some 21 million adults around the victim of domestic servitude.
sent to sex, it is considered rape. world perform forced labor. Most Natalicia’s employers said
Some people assume human of those workers are employed in she would be like a member of
trafficking is always about forcing four major job sectors: domestic the family. Instead, they slowly
someone to have sex for money, work, construction, manufactur- curtailed her freedoms and cut off
but trafficking can occur in almost ing, and agriculture. Almost 25% her contact with the outside world.
any industry. For example, the of the workers are in the first She couldn’t receive mail or make
U.S. has seen a number of legal category—they work in people’s phone calls, and on many days the
cases involving nail salons, where homes as maids, nannies, or other family forced her to work up to 15
immigrant workers—mostly household help, often for wealthy hours straight. She cooked the fam-
from Asia—are forced to work families. This is called domestic ily’s meals, but they would some-
long hours and to pay debts they servitude. times eat all the food and leave
supposedly owe their employers.
Worldwide, other forms of forced THE DEBATE
labor are much more common than
sexual trafficking. WOULD YOU PAY A HIGHER
Modern slavery is not defined PRICE FOR PRODUCTS MADE
by law, but it usually includes USING FAIR LABOR PRACTICES?
total control over the working and YES NO
living conditions of those who • Goods created by skilled, • Many peoples’ budgets are
are enslaved. The victims are not well-compensated workers are already too tight.
necessarily considered someone often of higher quality. • Consumers should not have
else’s property, as enslaved people • Supporting companies with fair to research every product
once were in the United States and labor practices will encourage they buy.
other countries. But people held other companies to follow suit. • In a capitalist economy,
under modern slavery can’t leave • Inexpensive goods should not companies should be allowed
their jobs or travel freely, and their come at the expense of others’ to compete by keeping their
employers control all aspects of freedom. prices low.
their lives.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 1 13nothing for her. For all her work, Brazil and did not force her to go The subtle signs of abuse often
Natalicia was paid just $25 per with them. She found work with go unnoticed in cases of domestic
week, and she slept on the concrete another family who treated her servitude. As a result, it continues
floor of the family’s porch. She put well. They bought her a winter to be a major problem around
cardboard on the floor and slept on coat, which she had never had the world.
a futon, but the porch was not suit- before. They also encouraged
ed for winter weather in Boston, her studies. Years later, Natalicia ENSLAVED AT SEA
where the family lived. “For many earned a PhD at Boston University. Adults and children alike are often
months each year, the floor was At age 21, Erwiana Sulistyan- trafficked into agricultural and
frigid,” Natalicia later recalled. ingsih left her native Indonesia manufacturing jobs, including in
Natalicia felt trapped. Her work to work as a maid for a family the commercial fishing industry.
visa only allowed her to work for in Hong Kong. She thought it Many of the worst abuses take
her traffickers, and she didn’t speak would be a great opportunity to place aboard fishing vessels in
English. She also felt she could earn money and save up to pay Southeast Asia or at the plants
not challenge the authority of the for college. Instead, her employer where seafood is processed before
educated people she worked for. beat her and refused to let her see being shipped around the world.
If she did question her situation, a doctor for the resulting injuries. As with chocolate, some of the fish
the family berated her. “People After months of this treatment, caught using forced labor ends up
don’t understand that you can’t the family abandoned her at the in U.S. grocery stores.
just walk out,” she said. “There are airport with nothing but a few Like many traffickers, those
constraints—economic, emotional, dollars and a ticket home. Erwi- in the fishing industry often
social—that keep women like me ana pursued legal action, drawing lure or kidnap desperate and
in place.” worldwide attention to her story impoverished people by promising
Natalicia was luckier than and ensuring that her abuser would them jobs with good wages. In
many victims of domestic servi- be punished with prison time. exchange for these jobs, victims
tude. Her traffickers returned to Other victims are less lucky. agree to pay a fee. Once at work,
this fee turns into a debt, and the
workers’ wages are withheld as
payment. Employers also charge
the workers for such things as
food and housing, so the debt
grows. Workers are stuck in their
jobs, unable to pay off what they
owe and start making money for
themselves. This situation is called
bonded labor or debt bondage.
People enslaved on fishing boats
often face horrifying circumstances.
Victims remain at sea for months
PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images
or even years at a time, and they
are at the mercy of the captains that
control the boats. They might work
up to 20 hours a day, seven days
a week, without receiving enough
While working as a maid in Hong Kong, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (center) was food and water. Some workers have
imprisoned and abused by her employers for several months before she was even been killed by their captors,
able to escape. their bodies tossed overboard.
14 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • M O D E R N E N S L AV E M E N TA 2017 study
found that almost
20% of homeless
teens in the U.S.
and Canada were
victims of sex
trafficking.
Sex trafficking takes place in
wealthy countries, too. Between
2015 and 2019, the annual number
of sex trafficking cases reported to
the National Human Trafficking
Hotline almost doubled, reaching
cindygoff/Getty Images
more than 8,000 cases. Thousands
more people are likely victims
of sex trafficking. Large events
Being forced into sex work is a traumatic experience that can inflict lifelong such as the Super Bowl are
mental scars upon victims. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental often settings for sex trafficking.
health, talk to a trusted adult or seek help from an organization. Traffickers collect victims in the
cities that host these events or
FORCED TO SELL sometimes sexually assault or beat bring them there. At these events,
THEIR BODIES the victims under their control to they find plenty of people who are
People have long paid others for maintain dominance. At times, willing to pay for sex. Traffickers
sex. In some cases, people choose just the threat of that kind of abuse in the U.S. often target runaways
to perform sex acts in exchange paralyzes the victims, keeping them or homeless people. Many of them
for money, becoming prostitutes. too afraid to go to the police or are victims of sexual or physical
But not all sex workers are willing try to run away. abuse before turning to the streets.
participants. Around the world,
almost 5 million people are forced THE DEBATE
to engage in sex work, including
prostitution and appearing in SHOULD FORCED SEX WORKERS BE SEEN
pornographic films. Because these AS CRIMINALS UNDER THE LAW?
people are not consenting to have YES NO
sex, this is a form of rape. • Breaking the law is never OK, • Traffickers and paying
Most victims of sex trafficking and prostitution is illegal in customers should be the ones
are teenage girls. Traffickers most of the world. held accountable for these
promise money or other benefits, • All sex workers could claim to crimes.
and many victims don’t learn that be victims of trafficking if they • A criminal record could make it
they will be forced to have sex until are arrested. harder for victims to move on
it is too late. Once they are forced • Arresting people prevents with their lives.
into prostitution, victims often have them from continuing to • Governments should focus
little control over their lives. They perform sex work, whether it more on the economic
may never be allowed to leave their is forced or not. conditions that make many
homes. If they are, a handler called women potential victims.
a pimp goes with them. Pimps
F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 1 15of forced labor. The action plan
said the U.S. government would
work to prevent trafficking from
occurring, support survivors, and
prosecute traffickers.
Governments aren’t the only
ones fighting back. Countless
independent organizations have
formed to combat trafficking, each
with its own perspective about the
right way to address the situation.
The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade
Many of these groups are led
by former trafficking victims,
who know just how widespread
trafficking is and how serious its
consequences can be. Activist
During the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami awareness campaigns aimed to combat Jennelle Gordon, a former victim
the predicted spike in human trafficking that typically accompanies celebrations of sex trafficking, says that abusers
surrounding the big game. are “hiding in plain sight . . .
kids are being targeted and even
Others have mental health issues to Combat Human Trafficking. groomed by pimps, at schools,
or face extreme poverty. This The plan noted that people in online, in their favorite parent-
leaves them highly vulnerable the U.S. who are particularly at approved games, by their peers, on
to traffickers’ promises of a risk of becoming victims include social media and the list goes on.”
better life. runaway children, undocumented
immigrants, Indigenous The global
FIGHTING BACK Americans, and LGBTQ human trafficking
There is a lot of debate over the people. And Federal Bureau of
industry generates
best ways to fight trafficking Investigation (FBI) statistics show
and modern enslavement. Some that unlike most of the world, the profits of about
people believe that the key lies U.S. has a bigger problem with $150 billion
in encouraging governments to sex trafficking than other forms per year.
enact stronger labor regulations.
In many countries, including the THE DEBATE
U.S., there are already laws meant
to keep employers from treating SHOULD KIDS UNDER 16 BE ALLOWED
employees unfairly . But TO HOLD JOBS IN THE U.S.?
companies can get around these YES NO
rules by operating in countries • Many younger teens are • It would be hard to keep
with less strict labor laws. For responsible enough to work. employers from exploiting
example, a U.S. technology • A job can be a valuable such young workers.
company might work with a learning experience. • Kids should be allowed to
Chinese factory to produce phones • The working age is already focus on learning and having
using workers who earn less than lower in some parts of the fun, not working.
the American minimum wage. world. • Families might force kids to
In 2019, the U.S. government work to earn more money.
issued a National Action Plan
16 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • M O D E R N E N S L AV E M E N TWHAT YOU CAN DO
Battling human trafficking and
modern enslavement is not just
TRAILBLAZERS
something for governments to tack-
le. Anyone can get involved, either Anuradha Koirala and modern slavery crimes.The
by educating themselves or taking proposed law would also let victims
concrete action. Here some of the sue traffickers or others who knew
things you can do to help. trafficking was taking place.Writing in
• Purchase goods made with fair support of the bill, which has not yet
labor practices. You can learn become law, Ho said, “The protection
Dinesh Gole/AP Images
which goods might have been of victims and the prosecution of
made using forced or child labor those who seek to enslave and exploit
by checking a list the U.S. Labor the vulnerable is at its foundation
Department keeps. an integral part of the ‘rule of law’ in
• Be careful when interacting Hong Kong.”
with people online. Traffick- Anuradha Koirala
ers might pose as recruiters for In Nepal, thousands of women and Bhanuja Sharan Lal
modeling or acting jobs, or try to girls are trafficked every year across Though parts of India’s economy are
convince victims to send photos the border into neighboring India booming, millions of the country’s
or meet in person. and forced into sex work. Anuradha people still live in poverty. Those
• Learn some of the signs that Koirala decided to do something conditions make the nation ripe
might indicate someone is a traf- about it. In 1993, she founded the for human trafficking, and bonded
ficking victim. These can include nonprofit organization Maiti Nepal, labor in particular. As the head of
such things as untreated injuries which works with law enforcement Manav Sansadhan Evam Mahila Vikas
or illnesses, signs of emotional to monitor the Nepal-India border Sansthan (MSEMVS), Bhanuja Sharan
abuse, or a lack of freedom of for trafficking, provides resources Lal is trying to do something about
movement. and education for former victims, trafficking in his homeland. MSEMVS
• Call the 24-hour National and works to spread awareness of is a nonprofit group that has helped
HumanTrafficking Hotline at trafficking. Sometimes called Nepal’s end modern slavery in more than
1-888-373-7888 or tell a trusted Mother Teresa, Koirala has won 100 villages since 1996. It has also
adult if you think someone may worldwide recognition for helping worked with survivors to educate
be a victim of domestic servitude to rescue more than 12,000 victims people about slavery and to call on
or other forms of trafficking. of trafficking and catch more than local police to crack down on it.
• Volunteer for local anti- 700 traffickers. Today, Lal and his organization focus
trafficking organizations or on ending forced child labor and
bigger groups such as Amnesty Patricia Ho helping its survivors. MSEMVS runs
International. Lawyer Patricia Ho has worked schools for the young victims so they
• Hold a fundraiser for groups for several years to address human can catch up in the education they
fighting trafficking. trafficking and modern slavery in missed while working.
• Write or call your elected her home city of Hong Kong. She
officials to let them know what became interested in the topic Patricia Ho
you think. when she represented a victim of
• Vote, when you are old enough! human trafficking who claimed the
With few exceptions, you can’t government of Hong Kong was not
vote until you’re 18, but in many taking strong enough legal steps to
states you can register at 16 or stop it. In 2017, Ho helped write
17, and you’ll be all set when 18 a bill to make human trafficking
Courtesy Patricia Ho
rolls around.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 1THE BACK PAGE
Norman Jung/Cartoon Stock
“CHILD LABOR LAWS DON’T APPLY TO HOMEWORK, JIMMY.”
NOT QUITE THE SAME . . .
1. Why do you think Jimmy says that homework is a form of child labor? Is it possible for people with
different backgrounds to have different perspectives on what counts as forced labor?
2. In what situations, if any, should young children be allowed to hold jobs? How young is too young to work?
3. What makes regular, everyday work different from forced labor? Is there a clear line that can be crossed?
Who should determine where that line is?
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TO MAKE GREAT DECISIONS
1. Should governments make it more of a priority to fight human trafficking? Which kinds of regulations
would be the best way to fight forced labor and modern enslavement?
2. What would make you change your mind about buying something if you knew it was made using forced
labor? What if it was something you really wanted, such as a new phone?
3. YOUR STORY: Have you ever been treated unfairly at a job? Were you able to resolve the issue?
What made the situation different from forced labor or modern slavery?
GREAT DECISIONS MODERN ENSLAVEMENT
KEY WORDS & TERMS Executive Editor: Eliza Edel McClelland
Managing Editor: Josh Gregory
bonded labor groomed Sensitivity Adviser: Lynette Arthur
Writer: Michael Burgan
coercion human traffickers Design: Kathleen Petelinsek, The Design Lab
debt bondage prosecute Photo Editor: Cynthia Carris Alonso
Fact Checker: Tonya Ryals
domestic servitude prostitutes Copy Editor: Melissa McDaniel
Cover Photo: Syed Mahamudur Rahman/NurPhoto/Getty Images
fair trade visa Special thanks to: William Dratch, MacDara King, Cole Kitchen,
Tonya Leigh, Brandon Ramirez, Elliott Rebhun
18 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • M O D E R N E N S L AV E M E N TGREAT DECISIONS
1918 • FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION HIGH SCHOOL
MARCH 2021
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
THINKING
MACHINES
Teaching Computers to Think Like Humans
LOOK OUT!
THE DANGERS OF AI
STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
TEEN ACTIVISTS
ON THE FRONT LINES
AI and other smart technologies are becoming
more common every day. Will they change
our lives for the better or the worse?
BY SANDY ONGA NEW ERA
Credit Wang Lei/China News Service/Visual China Group/Getty Images
During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, AI programs
were created to help doctors analyze scans and more quickly
diagnose whether patients were affected by COVID-19.
W
hen you think of promptly find you an answer. In With AI’s role in our lives
artificial intelligence short, AI is nearly everywhere you continuing to expand, humankind
(AI), you might look these days. The technology must figure out how to reap
conjure up images of a fantastical that enables these applications has the technology’s benefits while
future involving cyborgs, space been advancing rapidly in recent learning how to manage the risks
travel, and flying cars. But far years, and some experts claim it brings.
from being science fiction, AI is we are now in the midst of a new
already part of our everyday lives. industrial revolution. Similar THINKING
Netflix uses AI to help you to how coal and steam power LIKE HUMANS
pick out a new movie, and Spotify transformed the lives of those in What exactly is artificial intel-
uses it to suggest new songs for the 18th century, and electricity ligence, and how does it work?
your playlists. It’s what enables brought about immense changes Broadly speaking, the term is
Facebook to tag your friends in in the 19th century, AI, robots, used to describe computer sys-
the photos you upload, and how and other smart technologies will tems that can absorb information,
Google Maps figures out the fastest revolutionize the way people work, process it, and respond in ways
route to your destination. It’s how live, and play. similar to humans. For example,
Siri can listen to your questions and AI holds the immense poten- you have probably played video
tial to change our lives for the games where you compete against
Humankind must better—from helping individuals computer-controlled opponents.
figure out how to work more efficiently to tackling These opponents pay attention to
reap the benefits climate change and other big your actions and react differently
issues. However, it also has some depending on the situation. This is
of AI while potential drawbacks. For example, the result of programmers creating
learning how many worry that AI will perpetu- detailed instructions for the game
to manage the ate discrimination and bias, while to follow. But what if a computer
risks it brings. others fear for their privacy. could learn and improve instead of
20 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • A RT I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C EAutonomous vehicles rely on external sensors to detect the location
and movement of potential obstacles. AI programs use this information construct models so they can esti-
to decide whether the vehicle needs to speed up, slow down, or turn. mate how much sea levels will rise
or which places will be most vul-
nerable to hurricanes, heat waves,
and other extreme weather events.
Machine learning algorithms can
Credit Sundry Photography/Shutterstock
help make these predictions more
accurate.
Additionally, AI is helping
expand our range of transport
options. Already, companies
such as Waymo and Tesla are
experimenting with autonomous
Some modern cars are already
vehicles, which rely on sensors,
Credit Scharfsinn/Shutterstock
equipped with self-driving
radar, machine learning, and
features that take over navigation,
other sophisticated technology to
acceleration, and other tasks from
detect their surroundings. Cars
human drivers.
that drive themselves offer many
potential benefits: they free up
just obeying a set of rules? which products different people people’s time, cut down on traffic
In recent years, researchers will want to buy. by figuring out the clearest routes,
and inventors have focused heavily provide greater fuel efficiency, and
on an area of AI called machine GREAT POTENTIAL possibly even make driving safer.
learning. First, programmers One useful application of AI has Autonomous trucks could one day
create algorithms designed to been to help climate change sci- be particularly useful. Long-haul
identify patterns in data. Then entists make better predictions of trucking is an exhausting and dan-
they start feeding data into the the future. Scientists gather large gerous occupation—in 2018, near-
algorithms . The more data amounts of data from the atmo- ly 5,000 people in the U.S. died in
the program analyzes, the more sphere, oceans, land, and even accidents involving commercial
it learns and the better it gets at ice. They use this information to trucks. More than 90% of the
completing a task. For example,
the speech-recognition technology THE DEBATE
that powers Siri, Alexa, and other
AI helpers was built using machine SHOULD FULLY AUTONOMOUS CARS
learning. At first, these systems BE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD?
struggled to understand people YES NO
who had accents or used unfamiliar • They can travel at consistent • Self-driving cars are potential-
words. But as they have spent years speeds and distances from one ly vulnerable to hackers and
listening to millions of people talk, another, making driving more cyberattacks.
they have improved greatly. eco-friendly. • Taxi drivers, long-haul truckers,
AI systems can be fed many • They could reduce accidents and others may lose their jobs.
different types of information, caused by human error, fatigue, • AI might struggle to make
Credit Digital Genetics/Shutterstock
including numbers, text, or imag- and drunk driving. decisions such as whether to
es. This enables AIs to carry out • Commuters will be hit a pedestrian or avoid them
many different functions—from free to do other by swerving into a concrete
identifying the faces of people things while traveling. barrier instead.
in video footage to figuring out
MARCH 2021 21cases were caused by human error. calculating its most likely struc- “. . . black and
By contrast, self-driving trucks ture can take a very long time. AI brown people are
will be able to operate around the helps accelerate that process. This
more likely to
clock without getting fatigued like proved especially useful during the
people do. Covid-19 outbreak, when time was be inaccurately
Another useful application of of the essence. Google’s AI system identified, and
AI is in the medical field. Analyz- DeepMind helped predict the pro- thus unfairly
ing chest X-rays for pneumonia, tein structure of the SARS-Cov-2 targeted.”
mammograms for breast tumors, virus within a few short months.
or CT scans for brain bleeds is a With that knowledge, scientists USE WITH CAUTION
tedious and time-consuming task. could then rapidly develop vac- AI has led to some extremely
Instead, machines can be trained cines. positive developments. But as
to do a first pass of such scans AI is also being used to help with many other technologies,
and flag cases for doctors to take fight crime and make cities safer. its misuse can pose serious risks.
a closer look at, saving precious Law enforcement agencies apply One major concern is how AI can
time when it comes to diagnosing machine learning algorithms encourage discrimination and
disease. to the images they obtain from racial bias. There have been calls
AI can also help researchers surveillance cameras, using the to ban facial recognition tools
discover new treatments more technology to search for similar because studies have shown they
quickly. For a drug to be effective, faces in databases of mugshots, perform badly when it comes to
it has to bind to the bacteria or social media pictures, and other identifying women and people
virus that has infected someone. images. Recently, the FBI relied from ethnic and racial minorities,
Think of it as two puzzle piec- on facial-recognition technology as compared to how well they can
es fitting together—to ensure a to identify rioters who stormed the classify white, male faces. “This
good fit, scientists have to first U.S. Capitol in January. And pop means that black and brown peo-
understand the shape of the target star Taylor Swift is said to have ple are more likely to be inaccu-
protein. But a protein can assume used facial recognition to identify rately identified, and thus unfairly
countless different shapes, and stalkers at concerts. targeted,” says Michal Strahile-
vitz, a professor of marketing at
St. Mary’s College of California.
“This may not be intentional, but
it ends up having a racial bias that
is dangerous and unethical.” Bias
has also been identified in systems
that use AI to screen applicants for
jobs or bank loans. The reason this
happens is because such AI-pow-
Credit Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
ered systems are fed data that
isn’t diverse enough, and so they
tend to “pick” only certain types
of candidates—the ones they are
familiar with.
Others voice concern that AI
violates basic privacy rights .
Closed-circuit television cameras
After the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, law enforcement used AI-driven are everywhere these days. But
facial recognition programs to identify suspects in photos and videos of the event. in public spaces such as super-
22 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • A RT I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C EU.S. elections and Britain’s Brexit
vote.
AI can also be used to generate
deepfakes. These are photos or
videos that have been artificially
doctored to superimpose the face
of one person onto another, or to
alter their speech. They are some-
times so realistic that it’s hard
for people to distinguish if they
are real or not, even when paying
close attention. Paired with fake
Credit AP Images
news, deepfakes create nearly
limitless opportunities to spread
misinformation. For example, peo-
To create a convincing deepfake, AIs must analyze hours of footage and map every ple have used deepfake technology
point of a person’s face. to place the faces of celebrities in
pornographic videos. Such activity
markets and airports, people can’t the 2016 U.S. elections. could be used to ruin the reputa-
explicitly consent to having their The elections also thrust fake tion of almost anyone.
every step monitored. news into the spotlight. AI algo- The use of AI also raises many
There has also been outcry rithms can be designed to create ethical issues. For example, what
over social media companies fake news—content that is believ- if it falls into the wrong hands and
violating their users’ privacy. One able but simply untrue. Analysts is used for dangerous purposes like
way these platforms make money believe that Russian hackers used creating heat-seeking missiles?
is by allowing third-party compa- hundreds of thousands of AI-con- And as machines become more
nies to post ads on their sites. For trolled Twitter accounts, called intelligent, how should they be
example, you have probably seen bots, to spread propaganda and treated? Can a robot or an auton-
promotions for clothes, shoes, and disinformation during the 2016 omous vehicle be held to blame
other products when using social
media. These ads are usually THE DEBATE
targeted at specific users after the
platforms use AI to analyze their SHOULD TECH COMPANIES BE ALLOWED
posts and tweets, likes and shares, TO COLLECT AND SHARE YOUR DATA?
professional and educational histo- YES NO
ry, demographic information, and • It’s what helps them earn prof- • People own their data
other details. Some social media its so they can provide their and should have a say
platforms have harvested this per- services to users for free. in how it’s used.
sonal information—without users’ • Companies can use the data • Companies are often
Credit Alexey Boldin/Shutterstock
consent—to sell to other compa- to better understand custom- unclear about which
nies. Facebook, for example, was ers’ needs and wants, and offer kinds of data they
fined $5 billion in 2019 for mis- products accordingly. are collecting or how
handling its users’ personal data. • If customers don’t want to they are using it.
The social media giant sold data share data, they shouldn’t • Leaked information,
to a British consulting firm called use a company’s products or such as bank details,
Cambridge Analytica, which then services. can have serious repercussions.
used it to influence voters during
MARCH 2021 23Accountability Act, which requires
companies to assess their machine
learning systems for security and
privacy risks. In addition, firms
need to regularly examine their
algorithms and take corrective
actions if discrimination is detect-
ed. Some cities have gone one
step further. In May 2019, San
Francisco became the first city in
the world to ban facial recogni-
Credit Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
tion. Several other California cities
soon followed suit.
Private companies, too, are
doing their part to develop AI in a
responsible manner. For example,
Google unveiled a tool in 2019
that helps news organizations tag
Any time you go online, you exchange data with servers around the world. The stories with potentially mislead-
data stored on these servers can be used to train AIs in all kinds of ways. ing information. It also partnered
with fact-checking networks and
if it causes an accident—as a introduce laws to control how changed its AI to stop promoting
self-driving Uber car did in March AI systems are developed and put fake news and hoax videos on
2018 when it struck and killed a to use. For instance, the Europe- YouTube.
pedestrian? Or should the people an Union passed a law in 2018 To develop AI systems with
who programmed them take the stating that tech giants must be fewer biases, computer program-
rap? And is it possible that we are able to explain how the machines mers are now looking to use more
creating AI and robots that will they design make decisions. diverse datasets in machine learn-
one day outthink human beings? And in 2019, the U.S. govern- ing. They are also more mindful of
As renowned physicist Stephen ment introduced the Algorithmic how the systems are trained. For
Hawking pessimistically predicted
about AI: “It would take off on its THE DEBATE
own and re-design itself at an ever
increasing rate. The development SHOULD AI-POWERED ROBOTS BE
of full artificial intelligence could ALLOWED TO REPLACE HUMAN WORKERS?
spell the end of the human race.” YES NO
Could this really happen? All these • Computers don’t get tired • Face-to-face human
are questions that society must and can work more efficiently interaction is an important
collectively consider as we move than humans. part of customer service, med-
Credit Martin Stiavnicky/Shutterstock
forward into a future with increas- • Robots can do repetitive ical treatment, and many other
ingly powerful AI technology. or dangerous tasks, freeing jobs.
up people to do more mean- • Many people will
KEEPING AI ingful work. lose their jobs.
IN CHECK • Robots are cheaper than • AIs cannot handle
To ensure we don’t end up in a humans in the long run, helping situations they haven’t
dystopian future, policymakers companies reduce costs. been trained for.
around the world are starting to
24 G R E AT D E C I S I O N S • A RT I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C Eexample, some companies use
a software platform called Gap- TEEN
Jumpers to “blindly audition”
potential job candidates based on
TRAILBLAZERS
their skill sets, instead of using Jerry Di Tarr’s program can analyze a video
personal data such as where they and detect if it contains faces that
grew up or studied. have been swapped or voices that
have been dubbed. It’s up to 10
WHAT YOU CAN DO times quicker than other state-of-
Tackling fake news, privacy the art detection systems, and more
Credit Susie Kockerscheidt/Yorkregion.com
issues, and other AI-related accurate. For
challenges isn’t just limited to his work, the 17-year-old won this
the realm of governments and big year’s BT Young Scientist & Technol-
tech firms. You can play a role ogy Exhibition.
too, by taking these simple steps:
• Don’t believe everything Sophie Zhu
you read on social media or In 2019, 16-year-old Sophie Zhu
messaging apps. Instead, get launched a project to find out how
your information directly from Jerry Di AI might one day reshape our world.
trustworthy news outlets. When 15-year-old Jerry Di was The California teenager emailed 130
• Think twice before reposting diagnosed with Tourette syndrome of the world’s leading AI experts,
or retweeting. Verify that the a few years ago, he was disap- academics, and journalists, asking
information you’re about pointed to find that treatment questions such as: “Do you believe
to share is real by double- options were limited, expensive, that androids and human-level AI,
checking it with reliable news or “downright ineffective.” To once available, will be weaponized?”
sources. make matters worse, no one was and “What is the most likely reason
• Learn to spot deepfakes. looking to improve treatment for why they could harm humanity or
Telltale signs include unnatural the neurological disorder, which threaten the survival of the human
eye movements or facial causes repetitive, uncontrollable race?” Zhu, now a freshman at
expressions, awkward posture, movements called tics. In response, Duke University in North Carolina,
abnormal skin tone, blurred Di decided to do something about collated and analyzed the replies she
edges, and inconsistent audio. the problem himself. The teen from gathered, and wrote an illuminating
• Review your privacy settings Ontario, Canada, founded a biotech research paper on the topic.
on social media. startup called Unitic. The aim: to
• Be careful about giving newly use machine learning to diagnose
downloaded apps access to Tourette patients and come up
your contacts, photos, location, with treatment plans tailored spe-
and other personal information. cifically for them.
• Write or call your elected
officials to let them know what Gregory Tarr
you think. As a young boy growing up in Ire-
Credit Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography
• Vote, when you are old land, Gregory Tarr taught himself
enough! With few exceptions, how to code using online tutorials.
you can’t vote until you’re 18, He soon became interested in AI,
but in many states you can and after more than five years of
register at 16 or 17, and you’ll research, he created a comput- Gregory Tarr
be all set when 18 rolls around. er program to detect deepfakes.
MARCH 2021 25You can also read
