LINCOLN ESSAY COMPETITION WINNERS CELEBRATED
MANCHESTER, Vt. (May 21, 2024) — Students, families, teachers, principals, judges, and guests from across Vermont gathered in Manchester on Sunday to honor the winners of the 18th annual Lincoln Essay Competition at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. This year’s topic focused on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across various fields and sectors in our society.
At Sunday's award ceremony, fifteen Vermont eighth grade students were recognized for their compelling essays and the first place winners read their essays to a supportive crowd. Every student received guest passes to visit Hildene and a cash prize with an acknowledgement letter. The celebration was the culmination of a year-long process in which Hildene received a remarkable 211 submissions statewide, showcasing diverse perspectives on AI's role in different sectors. After rigorous evaluation, first, second, and third-place winners were chosen from four Vermont regions encompassing the whole state, and three honorable mentions were then selected from the combined pool of finalists.
"Lincoln had a life-long fascination with innovation. This year's theme for the essay competition reflects Lincoln's appreciation for technological progress," said Brian Keefe, President for Hildene. "One of President Lincoln's lesser-known accomplishments is that he was an inventor—he is the only U.S. President that filed and received a patent. We are incredibly impressed with the winning essays showcasing each student's exploration of Artificial Intelligence."
President Lincoln had an enduring fascination with technology and its potential to transform lives. In his "Discoveries and Inventions" lecture, he reflected on the essential human innovations that have shaped the course of history (the printing press, steam-power, etc.). Today, the increasingly pervasive use of artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to make a similarly profound impact on society.
This year’s essay prompt challenged students to examine the transformational power of artificial intelligence within any field of interest of their choosing and to explain whether they believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Notably, most students highlighted concerns about AI's potential to overshadow and even eliminate human creativity and sensitivity in fields like journalism, law enforcement, writing, and the arts. Many also expressed fear that the careers they might want to pursue may no longer be possible if AI replaces many of the jobs currently held by humans. Still others found more promise than harm in using AI for areas such as designing for safety, medical diagnostics, climate resilience and sports analytics––provided biases can be eliminated from the data collected and used.
“Every year, I look forward to meeting the students whose essays are crafted with such care. Their ability to analyze complex topics thoughtfully, and often passionately, articulate their perspectives is deeply moving," said Stephanie Moffet-Hynds, programming director for Hildene, following the awards ceremony. "This was definitely the case again this year as the students read their essays with poise, conviction, and sincerity. They give us reason to feel hopeful about the future.”
For more information about the Lincoln Essay Competition, please contact:
To read the first-place essays in their entirety and to learn more about the competition and Hildene, please visit our website:
For photos of Sunday's awards ceremony, please visit:
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LIST OF WINNERS
For a list of winners and a summary of each winning entry, please visit:
MEDIA GALLERY
For photos of each winner, please visit:
