A maze of printed legislation, highlighted articles and public records spills across the table as senior Aaron Bao rapidly scribbles on a long sheet of white paper, outlining the structure for his proposed policy. Thinking intently, he weighs each contention’s impact, determined to manifest a policy impossible to refute in the chamber. In his eyes, the power of congressional debate lies not in winning trophies, but in the possibility of turning arguments into actions.

After discovering congressional debate in ninth grade, Aaron decided to switch gears from his middle school speech career and pursued his interest in debate. He found himself especially drawn to the integration of numerous perspectives within a congressional debate. 

“What really interested me about congressional debate is that you’re able to make friends with people while arguing with them,” Aaron said. “You need to have an open mind about the policies and other arguments, even when you’re trying to argue your own case.”

Congressional debate’s unique emphasis on research also peaked Aaron’s interest in public policy. Whether the debate topics focused on foreign relations with Russia or domestic energy in Taiwan, Aaron continuously learned that thorough research always served as an important factor for a successful argument. 

“Congressional debate has given me the ability to research something and get in-depth knowledge about it,” Aaron said. “It is very different from other events because you’re given a new docket of 20 different kinds of bills, so it has equipped me with the skills to learn about a topic very fast while gaining high quality information about it.”

However, after gaining more experience and attending numerous tournaments, Aaron realized that research by itself was not enough for a winning claim. Rather, framing his arguments as efficiently and attractively as possible proved to be a key factor for a victorious case.  

“Three minutes is nowhere near enough time to get through all of the arguments you want to make,” Aaron said. “You need to focus them down and make them as persuasive and compelling as possible, and you do that through framing the issue and argument through a certain lens.”

Close friend and fellow speech and debate team member senior Robert Fields builds on Aaron’s ability to synthesize a unique argument in a pressuring environment filled with different stances. Robert particularly admires how Aaron consistently brings new ideas to the table.

“Congressional debate is like a 16 person round-robin debate, so you have to stand out,” Robert said. “Aaron’s always looking for ways to differentiate himself or bring a new perspective to the debate that no one thought of before, and that’s a very admirable quality of his.”

Through exposing himself to a variety of policies in debate, Aaron discovered his passion for AI policy during his sophomore year. To dig deeper into the topic, he joined a lab at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence where he tackles the multifaceted impact of AI on the future of society, embracing both the concerns and excitement regarding the issue. 

“There isn’t much concrete on what it’s actually going to affect,” Aaron said. “I was really interested in first understanding the problem of understanding the nebulous impact of AI on humans, and what the concrete solutions we can make to get the best benefit for humans and also mitigate the worst harms.”

Aaron’s research revolves around accessibility to AI development in the Global South by analyzing three crucial components for developing human-centered AI: data, computing devices and talent. He hopes to bridge the gap between technological advancement and socioeconomic challenges in growing regions through his research in AI policymaking.

“For developing countries in the Global South, they’re lacking in pretty much all three components,” Aaron said. “I’m looking at how Global South countries can develop AI and how policy can guide other countries on the global stage to ensure that AI is equitably spread so that benefits can also come to developing countries as well.”

This focus on structural change extends to Aaron’s work on student council, where he seeks to make a tangible impact. Although limitations prevent him from making sweeping reforms, Aaron advocates for attainable initiatives that can still have a meaningful influence on students’ lives. 

“I see what small quality of life improvements I can do as a member of student council, especially at Harker, where everyone’s very busy and absorbed in their own world,” Aaron said. “As a representative, the best thing I can do is make their lives easier in whatever small way is possible, whether that’s having desks with chargers in Shah or having cereal available in the mornings.”

Aaron’s approach to problem solving is rooted in both structural and human-centered change. While working on global issues like equitable AI development or making smaller but equally meaningful improvements for his peers at Harker, Aaron strives to improve quality of human life through incremental progress and practical solutions.

“You have these big, nebulous structures that are really hard to tackle head on,” Aaron said. “How are you supposed to begin to understand how they’re going to influence our world? Take nuclear weapons, for example. My interests have been taking these scary ideas and then framing them around humans.”