Drinking and driving, I’m embarrassed to say, has always been an issue in my family. Just recently, my cousin, in a drunken state and without permission, took my aunt’s new Corvette, wrecked it beyond repair, and is currently in the ICU fighting for his life. For the insurance to pay for the vehicle, my aunt would have to report the car stolen. Now she is faced with the decision of whether to press charges against my cousin, her nephew, while he is fighting for his life, or undergo a $60,000 loss. This decision has divided my family; some feel that she should press charges, while others find it inconceivable that she would take such action against a family member. My cousin is not alone in this drinking and driving crisis. Several family members, including my uncle and grandfather, have suffered DUIs and even incarceration as a result of drinking and driving. This behavior keeps me and other family members in a heightened state of anxiety, knowing that at any minute their actions could lead to a tragic consequence. My family’s history has prompted me to give considerable thought to solutions that can deter this type of behavior. Despite pleas not to drink and drive and explaining the consequences of this behavior, their impaired judgment almost always overrules any common-sense decisions, and they proceed to drive anyway. Knowing that alcoholism is a disease, one that is often associated with pain and suffering, I realize it is not as simple as telling someone to stop drinking and expecting them to stop. With that in mind, one approach to this problem is technology. Technological advancements, such as alcohol detection and driver's attention systems, should be implemented in all new cars. The alcohol detection system would function by using breathalyzer technology. The device would be seamlessly incorporated into the vehicle's design, without impacting the styling or functionality of the car. It would analyze the driver's BAC (blood alcohol concentration); if readings reported a concentration over 0.08, the vehicle would not start. Additionally, a unique coding mechanism would be implemented to detect whether hand sanitizer is in use or if the vehicle's passenger attempts to blow into the breathalyzer. Similarly, the driver attention system would analyze the driver's attention status towards the road. The system would activate once the car reached a certain speed or if it swerved. An invisible sensor would then monitor their attention level by tracking head and eye movements consistent with those of a person who is driving drunk. Once the system detects the driver's lack of attention to the road, a loud alarm sounds, alerting the driver to pay attention to their surroundings and/or alert authorities to a potential drunk driver. A possible way to address the issue of insufficient technology in older vehicles is by enhancing road and highway infrastructure. For example, roadway signs that feature lighting that capture the driver's attention could be used as a warning system. The use of roundabouts instead of intersections could reduce crashes by lowering the speed. Additionally, roadside cameras and AI systems could alert authorities to potential instances of drunk driving. Although expensive and likely to meet with resistance, these innovations would be pivotal in reducing the number of accidents thus saving millions of lives.

It's 11:00 pm on a school night. I'm supposed to be tucked into bed, so I can be ready for school the next morning, but my obsession again gets to me. Instead, I am sneaking to the garage to get a glimpse of my parents' new 2013 Ford Explorer. As I looked in amazement, time passed as I admired its beauty. Before I knew it, my father was standing behind me with an expression that every young child knows when something terrible is about to happen. Once again, my obsession with cars got me in trouble. My name is Jaylen Hughley and I am an incoming freshman at Louisiana State University. I would describe myself as quiet and reserved except when it comes to cars; then I am loud and passionate. Cars are and have always been my passion; my obsession became apparent at a very young age. Fascinated by how cars worked, I took apart my toy cars only to put them back together again, not just to fix them but to understand the mechanics behind their function. This fascination continued into my high school years, and even though it landed me in lots of trouble, I would take apart my brand new Hyundai Elantra and put it back together. My desire to understand the inner workings of how cars function led to my interest in mechanical engineering. Not only does Mechanical Engineering allow me to learn how cars are built, operated and maintained, but it also offers me an opportunity to solve real-world problems. It will allow me to apply science and technology in ways that improve everyday life and will open doors to fields like renewable energy, automotive design, and robotics; industries that are constantly evolving and shaping the world. Beyond academics, I plan to use my education and career to make a difference in my community. As a young African American male, I know I am entering a field where minorities are significantly underrepresented. Black men make up only 2.8% of mechanical engineers in the United States. While some may see this as a challenge, I see it as an opportunity. My presence in this field can help break barriers and show others who look like me that they also belong in fields where they may not see themselves represented. I plan to be an inspiration to the next generation through mentorship. If younger generations see and interact with someone who is a successful engineer and who looks like them, they are more likely to believe in their own potential. I will also partner with organizations that encourage STEM education in underrepresented communities, making sure more students are encouraged to explore engineering at an early age.

Tesla is America’s number one leading electric car company. It is founded on the principles of innovation and technological advancements—a brand whose principles include environmental responsibility, continuous learning, and revolution. Tesla is, if not the number one leading company pushing for artificial intelligence (AI) integration in our society. They have already implemented a large amount of AI technology in their cars. From full autonomous driving to complete automated battery engine control, Tesla continues to push the boundaries of what is physically possible by integrating artificial intelligence into their brand. In addition to Tesla incorporating AI in their cars, they are also a company that expresses confidence in replacing human labor with robots. They believe in eliminating human risk by the process of robot-operated assistance. Replacing humans with robots has generated considerable controversy. Some people are entirely opposed to AI taking over, while others strive to embrace AI in our society, which I find to be a controversial stance. On the other hand, another company that has beneficially integrated AI is OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The OpenAI Application Programming Interface (API) is an artificial intelligence program that connects to OpenAI’s powerful machine learning models, enabling users to integrate cutting-edge AI capabilities into various occupations. The most popular branch of OpenAI is ChatGPT.ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that generates human-like text responses to different prompts and questions. In short, the system allows users to conversate directly with AI by processing large amounts of text to predict the most relevant answers to questions.ChatGPT is a fantastic application of AI, enabling numerous solutions to various problems. Quickly, ChatGPT provides answers to any question. I used ChatGPT and Tesla as examples of technological advancements because they are two companies that are heavily investing in AI for our daily lives. In 15 years, the incorporation of artificial intelligence is bound to spike. That being the case, as an aspiring engineer, technology will be a crucial aspect in my career. In the future, I want to work with cars. As cars advance, more aspects of technology are being incorporated into them. With the assistance of technology, I have the opportunity to make my job more efficient. Thus, I have utilized AI and machine learning to aid me in improving when I encounter problems while working on modifying my car. Every time I encounter an issue that I am unable to solve, I use AI as a resource to work around the problem. In the future of my field, where I work with AI, I can work on an excessive number of cars, implement innovative techniques, and discover new ways to optimize stability and efficiency. If I utilize AI correctly, it could be a favorable factor in my job search. As mentioned earlier, artificial intelligence is expected to be a significant technological advancement in our economy within the next 15 years. AI possesses many positive qualities, but it also has its drawbacks. The Way AI is used determines the impact it will have on others.ChatGPT suggests that there are numerous ways in which AI can positively assist us. However, as shown by Tesla, AI can recite all our actions if uncontrolled. The multitude of ways technology dictates our lives depends on the parameters and constraints placed upon artificial intelligence by how people utilize it. For example, I used to better understand the inner workings of how my car functions. A person can choose to limit the accessibility of AI or take advantage of its complex capabilities. Regardless of the conditions, whether used moderately or extensively, technology will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the automotive industry.