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This weekend, I attended the US Naval Academy’s 8th Science and Engineering Conference covering the themes of space exploration and artificial intelligence as a delegate of Columbia University. Over the course of the conference, I attended presentations from high profile individuals on the cutting edge of both fields, heard insightful responses from space industry leaders in a Q&A panel, met four different astronauts, and presented my breakout group’s (which included former astronaut Sunita Williams) solution to the problem of bone and muscle atrophy over long duration space flights.

The conference gave me a much better idea of where both fields of space exploration and artificial intelligence are going in the near and far future. Hearing that robots will soon be working directly alongside humans in a concept called cooperative manufacturing and that we will be travelling to Mars in 20 years was an eye opening experience. Two points in particular stood out to me, that the commercialization of space will continue happening at accelerated rates in order to one day get us to Mars, and that we need to prepare now for the inevitable automation of many if not most careers.

In addition to hearing the latest and greatest in space exploration and AI, I also established a great network amongst students around the nation who similarly shared a passion in the two fields. Working alongside so many high achieving peers was a humbling experience and I am grateful to have had the chance to meet so many friends. In closing, attending the 8th Naval Academy Science and Engineering Conference will be an experience I will not forget and the knowledge I required, the people I met, and the friends I made will be essential assets to have going forward in my career. It was an honor to have represented Columbia at NASEC and I feel blessed to have been chosen for this once in a lifetime opportunity.