Introduction

Hi everyone, my name is Aayush, and I am an 18-year-old freshman studying computer science at the University of Maryland. To say I’m loving my first year would be an understatement! Meeting amazing new people and fumbling around this huge campus has been awesome. I’m so excited about finally getting to choose my own classes and geek out over subjects I’m genuinely passionate about. This blog will be my space to explore some fascinating topics from my time in college, but before we get into all that, I’d love for you to get to know the person behind the keyboard a little better!

A bit about me

As a CS student, getting away from the desk can be hard, but I always try to give myself some time to relax. There’s something so refreshing about hiking a new trail or riding my bike to clear my head. It’s my favorite way to unplug and soak in fresh air. My other favorite way to adventure is diving into a different universe. I’m a massive fan of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love to see world-building done at scale. Authors like Brandon Sanderson and Frank Herbert really scratch that itch for me. They build these fascinating universes at scale, and I love reading about them.

That escape isn’t always a solo act. My more energetic adventures usually happen on a court with a racket in my hand. I’m a huge fan of pretty much any racket sport. I’ve spent countless hours on the tennis court. There’s something about the combination of smart reactions, quick thinking, and sheer physical prowess that I love. Tennis, or any other racket sport, is a fantastic way to exercise and get the blood flowing. It helps me think clearly and channel some of my competitive energy.

Thoughts about Media

Okay, so that’s a lot about what I do when I’m offline. When I am plugged in, my mind gets caught up in the mechanics of what I’m actually seeing. I’ll be scrolling through my feed and just get stuck on how one specific video or idea can completely dominate the internet for a day. The whole concept of virality and how mass media can steer conversations is just wild to me. And now, throwing AI into that equation feels like we’re entering a whole new ballgame. The way it’s already starting to shape how content is created and shared is something I can’t stop thinking about, and it’s honestly a huge part of what I’m excited to explore.

All this thinking has left me with a few big questions bouncing around in my head. With AI getting scarily good at creating videos and deepfakes, my main thought is, how will we even begin to figure out what’s real anymore, and what does that do to the idea of “reliable news”? And does our trust in a news source change if we find out it’s using AI to write its articles? It also makes me think about our role in all of this. What new skills will we need to develop so we don’t get fooled? Ultimately, I’m curious if AI will just trap us in the ultimate echo chamber, or if it could somehow be a tool to help us break out of them.

Anyway, that’s a little peek into my world and what’s on my mind. I’m super excited to dive into all of this and share what I learn. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Cheers,
Aayush