By Kate Lockyer
Youth Member for Clayfield Rahul Kumar is still in high school, but that hasn’t stopped him taking the chance to prepare a Bill which may be presented to Queensland Parliament.
Rahul and his team are working on a surveillance device regulation bill and an artificial intelligence regulation bill as part of the six-month YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament program for people under 25.
“We’re basically trying to limit the instances where AI and surveillance devices can be used, and introducing penalties for individuals that use them illegally,” he said.
Rahul is in the science, digital economy, and tourism portfolio, and once they have prepared their bill the Youth Parliament will debate and potentially pass the bill, and if passed it is given to the Queensland Cabinet for consideration.
Rahul is in Grade 12 at Brisbane Grammar School and is enthusiastic about the opportunities the program has given him to prepare for his future.
“So far in youth parliament, we’ve focused on meeting with individuals in certain fields – computer science and software engineering fields.
“So that’s been quite exciting and it’s also quite relevant to what I want to do in the future because I’m interested in going into computer science and software development when I graduate,” he said.
It is not just experts he gets to meet, but young people from across Queensland.
“It’s people who are from all over the state, and I don’t think there are many opportunities where you get to meet people who are really far up north, or down near the border, or really far out west, so it’s quite unique in that regard,” he said.
State Member for Clayfield Tim Nicholls and Rahul Kumar