My name is Giovanny Klyd Exilus, and I go by my middle name, Klyd. I am a Sophomore at John Jay College, currently pursuing a dual degree in Political Science and Economics. I have a lot of interests in the intersection of law and economics. A fun fact about me is that I only learned how to swim last semester, and it has been one of my favorite activities since.
Brianna Abad is a first-year student at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, studying political science. Born and raised in Queens, Brianna is committed to helping underserved communities navigate complex systems. Her interests lie at the intersection of ethics, technology, law, and policy. With previous experience as a climate organizer and judicial intern, she looks forward to turning AI literacy discussions into meaningful advocacy campaigns. When Brianna is not advocating, she enjoys journaling, bicycling, and listening to music.
Ayesha Ilyas
I study computer science at City College. Currently, I am interested in developing a deep understanding of how tech impacts humans, especially in today’s AI-consumed world, and in learning how to build useful, responsible, and ethical sociotechnical systems. I hope to explore public interest technology and become involved in research on human-computer interaction and novel computational models in the near future. I love reading, Earl Grey, and sunsets.
Sarah is a junior at Macaulay Honors College pursuing a B.A. in English with a
concentration in writing. She is deeply committed to literature not only as an art form but
as a discipline that provides valuable insights into the different ways people perceive the
world and as a means of cultivating mutual understanding. As an aspiring writer and
teacher, her goals are to publish her own works, offer careful guidance to improve
students’ writing and reading proficiency, and encourage perseverance in those who
struggle in class. When she’s not writing, Sarah spends time crossing off movies from
Letterboxd’s Top 250 Narrative Feature Films.
My name is Sara Lukacevic, and I am a Computer Science sophomore at Macaulay Honors College on track to graduate a year ahead of schedule. Born and raised in New York City, I have built a strong foundation in data analytics with a growing interest in data and large language models. Most recently, I was a finalist in a datathon, analyzing millions of data points to uncover the impact of congestion pricing on MTA usage in Manhattan. I am driven to explore AI meaningfully, both in its technical dimensions and in its broader context, examining the societal, legal, ethical, and economic implications of how it is built and deployed. With a curiosity around questions of bias, governance, and innovation, I am committed to using technology to create impact and inform decisions, both as a practitioner and a critical thinker.
Lulu O’Rourke-Chisholm is a junior at Baruch College, majoring in Advertising and Marketing Communications and minoring in New Media Arts. Lulu has a strong interest in the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and data privacy, and is particularly curious about how AI is reshaping industries across business, technology, and art. She hopes to gain a new perspective through the Critical AI Literacy program and dive deeper into emerging AI advancements, applications, and their broader societal impact.
Shirley Guzman is a Junior and History major at the City College of New York. She is also in the 17th Cohort of the Honors Program in Legal Studies as she prepares for a legal career. She prioritizes research, analysis, and writing while serving as an Article Editor for the Macaulay Pre-Law Club’s CUNY-Wide Pre-Law Journal. As a participant in the Critical AI Literacy initiative, she is interested in addressing and mitigating bias in AI technologies that have become prevalent in the legal field as well as other social services such as housing and employment. As a student who is interested in academic writing, she also aims to learn more about the increased use of generative AI in higher education.
Jacob Velez is a Digital Marketing student at Queens College, part of the City University of New York. He is a writer and webmaster for The Knight News, where he reports on culture, media, and fashion. Through the CUNY Climate Justice Hub, he was partnered with Forest for All NYC and works to help share and expand opportunities related to sustainability and environmental engagement across CUNY campuses. In addition, he serves on the organizing team for TEDxCUNY, helping coordinate partnerships and programming for the annual conference. As a participant in the Critical AI Literacy Initiative, he is interested in exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping fashion, sustainable material innovation, and the future of creative industries.
John Muccino loves plucking words, writing them down, and passing little notes. He enjoys wandering thrilled, poetry with legs, music with elbows, mathematics, puzzles, moving, not moving, and collecting “architecturally originated sensations.” More categorically, John Muccino is 34, currently an Engineering Science major at BMCC and will study Electrical Engineering at CCNY. He has a background in music performance, composition and arranging, tournament chess, and works full-time for an audio-backline company. John has not used a smartphone for one year.
I’m Rishayna, a current sophomore at Queens College. After taking a summer class on the intersection of juvenile justice and mental health, I fell in love with political science and psychology. So naturally, I decided to major in both. Much of the work that I do outside of classes is also reflective of my majors. I wanted to be part of this program to learn about topics that are outside of what I am familiar with. Despite finding myself in constant conversations regarding the ethics and the destructive nature of artificial intelligence, I had previously not studied it through official sources. I have also had professors who required us to use AI on assignments, while some of my other professors were strictly against it. This level of subjectivity opened even more questions for me. Artificial intelligence is such a pressing issue and is being thrown into people’s lives, even when they are against it. Such intricate matters need more attention from a critical standpoint, and I am very excited to get the conversation rolling with this amazing cohort!
