August 21, 2025 | 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. ET
What happens when students are using A.I. tools outside the classroom, without guidance, rules, or guardrails? In this eye-opening panel, high school students share how they’re navigating A.I. in real life: from schoolwork and creativity to social media, self-expression, and even personal support through chatbots like Character.AI or “therapy” bots.
In conversation with Heidi Segars, a student leader in A.I. ethics at UNC-Chapel Hill, The Social Institute’s Student Ambassadors will discuss what excites them, what concerns them, and what they wish adults better understood about the ever-evolving world of A.I.
You’ll hear directly from students about how they’re using tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and other A.I. tools for learning, problem-solving, and even advocacy, and how schools can respond in ways that feel empowering, not restrictive.
What you’ll learn:
- A candid, behind-the-scenes look at how students are really using A.I., both in and out of the classroom
- Student-respected language and ready-to-use prompts to start meaningful conversations around A.I.
- Actionable ideas for shaping A.I. policies and instruction that reflect student voice, digital ethics, and future-ready learning
Featured Presenters
Heidi Segars is an Honors student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying neuroscience, psychology, and education. As an Ethics Fellow and researcher at the Parr Center for Ethics, Heidi has a particular interest in A.I. ethics. During her time at UNC, she has created and contributed to many A.I. initiatives on campus, from creating and teaching an A.I. ethics course for undergraduates to serving as a student voice on the Provost’s A.I. committee. As a former TSI Lesson Development Intern, Heidi helped develop some of TSI’s first student-facing content focused on navigating A.I. Heidi also creates educational content and outreach media for NASA’s astrophysics missions.
Laura Tierney is the Founder and CEO of The Social Institute, the leader in equipping students, families, and educators with modern life skills to impact learning, well-being, and students’ futures and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform that equips school communities to navigate social media, technology, like A.I., and student well-being — online and offline — in positive, high-character ways. Their positive, student-led approach has been applauded by Melinda Gates on X (previously Twitter) and featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and USA Today. Laura got her first phone at age 13 and went on to become a four-time Duke All-American, Duke’s Athlete of the Decade, and a social media strategist for leading brands before founding The Social Institute.