Insightful response! I think it's really cool that you looked into Murray's research, and I agree that would be something I'd love to hear more about! Also, it's really interesting that the part you were surprised by is that SIR models are not the only models used in epidemiology, because I found myself surprised and relieved at that same fact. I hope in the future that these alternative models will become more accessible and less messy, so that we have more accurate models.

By reading these articles, I gained a better understanding of AI's capabilities and limitations. I am not the most prolific user of AIs like ChatGPT, but I have used them a couple of times and learned about them in high school, so not all of it came as a surprise to me. Still, I was shocked by what AI now has the ability to do according to these articles. The image recognition ability was incredible to learn about. I also found the section on AI hallucinations, which is when they answer something wrong, really insightful. I had no idea that there was a word for that, or that it happened as frequently as it does. I'll admit to finding myself a little frightened by the advancements of AI, simply because there's so much I don't understand about it and the possibilities of misuse seem vast. I read a really great op-ed about fears surrounding the advancements of AI that soothed me a bit, reminding me that society will still function and not be taken over by technology. It also reminded me that all bad actors are in fact people and not AI thus far. However, I also saw an unconfirmed report that someone had killed themselves on the instruction of an AI, so I'm not sure about that. The main thing this article focused on, however, was the comparison of AI to pocket calculators, which I feel is not applicable. Pocket calculators don't have the capabilities to encourage bias and misinformation, whereas AI does. I understand the comparison that students may come to rely on AI as we do on calculators, but I think that AI has potential beyond education.

I really appreciate that you're asking specific questions! I also found it troubling that people are unwilling to make the significant changes needed around energy consumption to prevent the imminent climate disaster. I think it's tricky bringing politics into an interview for an open course, but I do agree that a discussion needs to get more serious and actionable.