On October 16th, Emiliyan Stanev School organized an event in relation to EU Code Week about the principles of artificial intelligence (AI), its capabilities and limitations.
The event, attended by high school students, featured an informative presentation titled “What is AI?” designed to introduce young paople to the world of AI, covering its core principles, possibilities, and ethical challenges.
This initiative is part of the broader EU Code Week mission to encourage coding, digital literacy, and technological exploration among students across Europe, bridging knowledge gaps and inspiring innovation.
The presentation was structured to give students a comprehensive overview of AI, starting with the foundational principles behind its development. Students learned about how AI systems operate, including the concepts of machine learning, neural networks, and data processing, which power many of today’s AI applications.
The European Youth Parliament (EYP): a gateway to youth engagement in European politics
By explaining these concepts in a clear and accessible way, the session aimed to demystify AI and provide students with a deeper understanding of how these technologies function in the real world.
One of the focal points of the discussion was the potential and current capabilities of AI, as well as its limitations. While AI can perform complex tasks such as language translation, image recognition, and data analysis, it is still far from achieving general intelligence comparable to human cognition.
Additionally, the event addressed some common myths and misconceptions surrounding AI. With sensationalized media often portraying AI as a futuristic, all-knowing entity, the presentation clarified that AI systems are limited by the data they are trained on and lack true human-like reasoning or creativity. Debunking these myths is particularly important in order to shape students’ perceptions of AI, allowing them to see it as a tool that can be guided, developed, and improved with ethical and thoughtful design.
EU is the vanguard in regulating AI
In March 2024, the AI Act, the world’s first piece of legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, was published.
This regulation placed the EU in the role of a pioneer in establishing common rules for the development and responsible use of AI, through a piece of legislation that focuses on security, transparency and respect for fundamental rights.
The legislation introduces a risk-based approach, classifying AI systems according to their potential impact on society: from low-risk systems to high-risk systems, which require stricter controls.
The central objective is to ensure that AI is ethical and respectful of European values, promoting innovation without compromising on citizens’ privacy and security.
