• Briefly explain the work that you did on this project: What code were you given? What code did you create yourself?
-- The code I was given contained the foundational infrastructure for training an AI system to navigate a maze to completion in an efficient and timely manner. My contribution to the code involved training the model to iteratively interact with the environment, record experiences, train a neural network model, and evaluate its performance until a satisfactory win rate is achieved.
• What do computer scientists do and why does it matter?
-- Computer scientists work to find new and innovative ways to extend the capabilities of computers. From designing new interfaces for websites to training an AI model via machine learning, computer scientists study the state of the art of computers and create new and improved ways to accomplish a variety of tasks.
• How do I approach a problem as a computer scientist?
-- Computer scientists approach problems by breaking them down into objects and classes. From there, they describe how objects and classes interact with one another. Through this process, the path to a solution becomes clearer and clearer until it is finally solved.
• What are my ethical responsibilities to the end user and the organization?
-- The ethical responsibilities of a computer scientist are to uphold the integrity of the systems being created and to not overstep where it is not necessary. An end user should be able to trust that their data being shared will be handled with care and in a confidential manner. Likewise, an organization should be able to trust a computer scientist with sensitive data that is integral to the company.