On Wednesday, Oct. 11th, Amador Valley’s Computer Science class welcomed Google Engineer Daniel Perlmutter to lead a discussion on the future of artificial intelligence.
“My role is a counter-abuse software engineer. I basically work on taking anything that’s spammy or abusive [on the internet] and taking it down through AI and other techniques,” said Perlmutter.
AI is becoming increasingly more entwined with everyday life, from social media algorithms to generative AI such as ChatGPT. Many students are eager to learn about this swiftly evolving technology, and experienced professionals such as Perlmutter can offer valuable insight.
“Ms. Templeton put me in touch with our guest speaker. And I think [Perlmutter’s] views on things like artificial intelligence and how machine learning can contribute to a project were very valuable,” said AP Computer Science teacher Kevin Kiyoi.
For most of the event, students asked Perlmutter any questions they had, ranging from technological specifics to the education and work experience of a software engineer. In addition, Perlmutter was happy to take a look at students’ coding projects and offer advice.
“One thing I think students could take away from the talk are the ethics of AI is how a day-to-day basis is for a Google employee. And how various tech companies have different roles for many employees,” said Shlok Sharma (‘25).
During the discussion, it became clear that AI presents a unique career opportunity. This rapidly growing industry especially appeals to current students, as they are one of the first generations growing up constantly surrounded by technology.
“I think it’s an easy sell at this point, because everyone knows how important AI is in our society… And hopefully [the students] also learned a little bit about Google. Obviously, Google isn’t the only company out there, but it is one of the biggest. Hopefully, this gives some idea of a potential career path,” said Perlmutter.
Even if students choose not to pursue AI as a career path, the discussion still offered insight into an intriguing topic, and many eagerly took advantage of the opportunity.
“I think it was an invaluable experience. We had students who were into lunch still asking more and more questions, and it was a great opportunity,” said Kiyoi.
An increasing number of Amador Valley students are growing passionate about AI and its potential uses in daily life. As these students pursue their ambitions in software engineering, one can only imagine what technological innovations they may create in the future.
“It was really fun to come here. I really enjoy talking about what I do, especially when people are smart and motivated and interested in this stuff,” said Perlmutter.
