How Teenage Shaker High Grad, Rep. Tonko Landed An Idea In The House-Passed NDAA

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Ian Pickus

Published December 13, 2020 at 12:16 PM EST

Nathan Wang at Boys Nation, where he proposed the bill.

A teenager from our region got a first-hand look at how American government can work this week. A bill called the Artificial Intelligence Education Act passed the House as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Sponsored by Capital Region Democrat Paul Tonko, the measure is intended to help K-12 students develop skills in artificial intelligence. The idea first came to Tonko from then-Shaker High School senior Nathan Wang in 2019. Wang is now studying at Johns Hopkins.

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Ian Pickus

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, produced and hosted the Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.

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