JOSHUA LAVRA: Hey Leo! Great to see you.

To get us started, in a few sentences, how would you describe your work with AI Consensus?

LEO WU: We're a student organization that works on the use of responsible AI in learning, with the focus on trying to bring out student perspectives.

As students, many of us are struggling with grasping how you can use AI technology in our lives. So, our organization's mission is to help facilitate that process and help enhance learning outcomes through the use of AI.

JOSHUA: Timely topic, for sure. How did you get started?

LEO: The inspiration was this wave of outrage we saw in the media when ChatGPT was released. It was being sensationalized, and at our university—Minerva—we saw a bunch of teachers take a stand against the idea of AI in the classroom. While there's some merit to that perspective, it seemed absurd to us to outright ban or disregard this technology because it might have some downsides. 

JOSHUA: So, you've been at this for a few years. How have you seen the work evolve over time?

LEO: It's definitely evolved a lot! In a way we’ve gone in a circle. Initially we wanted to focus on students because we saw a bunch of educators and administrators talking about AI, but students weren’t really invited to share their perspective. So our events, ideation contests, essay contests—they're all tailored to students. But over time, we realized that teachers and administrators are also missing practical advice on how AI learning can happen—like when you're about to write an assignment or a test how you can actually use ChatGPT. We have a lot to offer there, too.

JOSHUA: I'd love to dig into that a bit more. Being just one generation apart, your story reminds me of how Wikipedia was banned in schools and pushed back on by educators when I was growing up. Now, people look back and see it as a democratic source of information. But at the time, it felt like something to resist, and it was often students trying to educate teachers and administrators on its value.

I wonder what some of the big misconceptions are that you're seeing about AI's impact on education and learning?

LEO: One big misconception is that AI makes students more lazy or uncreative. This is a strong fear for many people, and it often leads to an impulse to ban AI from classrooms entirely. But I actually believe AI can make students more creative and motivated.

I see AI as an amplifier. If a student is disengaged and just wants to get through an assignment, AI will help them do that faster. But if they’re curious about a topic, AI can fuel that curiosity—it can help them find the right questions to ask and explore ideas more deeply.

So if I were to reframe the misconception, I’d say that using AI well isn’t just about the technology itself—it also depends on fostering curiosity and creating classrooms where students want to learn. When those human elements are in place, AI as an amplifier can be incredibly powerful.

JOSHUA: That's a very well said and very good point too. Framing it as a tool instead of a shortcut or replacement. Beyond those misconceptions, what do you think is not getting enough focus in this space? 

LEO:  Just how students are actually using AI! When I look over at my classmates’ screens ChatGPT is always open in a side tab. But, I have so many questions, like, what are the actual prompts people are using? How do people feel about having the AI take a huge part in my learning? How do they see it impacting the learning outcomes they care about? 

Students will sometimes ask questions that teachers and administrators might not think of just because of the diversity of our experiences. I think that can help us create much more meaningful discourse and policies around how to use AI.

JOSHUA: Totally. There's really powerful co-mentoring and co-learning that can happen among educators and students. But, when these tools are being kept in the shadows, like a real life incognito mode, that type of learning doesn't happen. Even more reason the work y'all are doing is incredibly important. 

LEO: Thanks.

JOSHUA: Can you share a story about one thing that you're particularly proud of from the last couple years? 

LEO: Yeah, I think it would probably be an event we held in London in March 2023 Even now, I'm like, “wow, how did we manage to pull that off?!” 

JOSHUA: What a great feeling! 

LEO: We had just landed in this new city and hadn’t pulled off anything on this scale before. In a way, it felt like we were fumbling around in the dark,, but in the end we were able to create an event that we’re still so proud of. We had a workshop from Google DeepMind. We brought in speakers from Samsung (and used their space). It was amazing to see that people were willing to support a youth organization and really value student perspectives. And the student response to the event made us realize the value of creating a space for learning how to use this technology responsibly. In the AI and education space, there's a lot of things going on, but a lot of them are commercial—like ed tech companies trying to talk about their product. This felt different. We had a lot of participants come up to us afterward and express gratitude for a free space to reflect and talk about the impact of this technology in an open way.

JOSHUA: Yeah, I mean it’s really powerful to create that space—particularly around a nascent topic like this. I think people are interested in AI, but don't know how to talk about it or who to talk to. 

LEO: Definitely.

JOSHUA: So, now that we're, what, three months into the new year? I'm curious what the main things are that you’re focused on in the coming months…

LEO: One thing is our newsletter that we just launched on Substack. The inspiration for this was the amazing discussions we’ve hosted at our in-person events. We wanted to try to find a way to take this energy and turn it into something a little more long lasting. So our Substack will feature a range of student perspectives. Our first two posts are going to be the winners of an essay contest we ran asking students how AI is changing their experience of learning.  

JOSHUA: That's awesome. 

LEO: The other exciting thing we're working on this year is passing the torch to younger students. I'm graduating, so by definition I won’t be a student anymore. I still plan to be involved with the organization, but we also want to ensure it's driven by students who are actively in school.

We've recently expanded the team quite a bit. When we were in London, it was just three of us, and now we have about 21 people. We’ve got a team in Seoul and a group in San Francisco. It’s been amazing to work with younger students, see their passion and energy, and share what I’ve learned over the years.

This transition has also changed my role—moving into more of a managerial and advisory position rather than doing everything myself. I have to admit, I miss that hands-on work, but it’s also great to see younger students learn and grow. We’re excited to see where they take AI Consensus.

JOSHUA: You're hitting on a challenge that I think many young leaders face—growing out of the thing they’ve created. Graduation or other life transitions naturally force a shift in how they engage with something they’ve invested so much time in. At the same time, there are more young people coming up who are passionate about the work.

This also makes me think of another common thread in your work. It’s clear you take a human-centered approach—there’s a strong focus on curiosity, connection, and ensuring voices are heard and valued. It really says a lot about your perspective and the way you lead.

LEO: Yeah, I think because we're named AI Consensus, a lot of people assume the focus is on AI. But for me, the focus is really on education and how AI can enhance human learning—being curious about something like neutron stars and being able to explore that to your heart's content.

JOSHUA: And we surely could benefit from a bit more curiosity in the world! 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our conversations with all five young leaders from the RTYPF Steering Committee.