The future of debating is looking bright!
Just before the summer holidays, I had a lovely afternoon at Devonport High School for Girls, where I was invited to open the Debate Society’s competition.
The students tackled the motion: “This House Would Mandate That Artificial Intelligence Developers Are Strictly Liable for Damages Caused by Their Algorithms.” Not exactly an easy topic, but you certainly wouldn’t have known it from listening to the debate!
The standard was incredibly high, and it was brilliant to see so many parents, families and teachers there supporting the students. Having listened to the speeches, I reckon the Oxford Union would have been pretty impressed too!
In the end, the House decided against the motion. I then had the difficult job of choosing Ella from Year 7 as Best Speaker, which was no easy decision given the strength of the competition.
A huge thank you to Isabella for organising the event and inviting me, and to everyone who helped make it a fantastic afternoon. I hope all the students have enjoyed a well-earned summer break before heading back to the Debate Society in the new academic year!
