COMPUTER ENGINEERING STUDENTS DEVELOP AI HOME ASSISTANT TOOL Cedarville computer engineering students are creating an AI-powered robot called Alfred to support older adults living independently. The project aims to help bridge the care gap between a rapidly aging population and a shortage of caregivers. Alfred uses voice interaction, computer vision, and audio processing to assist with daily tasks, provide medication reminders, detect falls, and alert caregivers or emergency services. Unlike many existing home robots that emphasize security or companionship, Alfred focuses on safety and accessibility for seniors. While still in development, this prototype reflects the broader efforts of Cedarville students to use AI to address the needs of vulnerable populations and to promote the biblical values of care and dignity for all image-bearers. BRIAN SHOOK IMPROVES HOW WORK GETS DONE In his work as the Associate Vice President for Graduate Enrollment, Dr. Brian Shook has grown from curiosity to making an everyday impact on his team using ChatGPT. What began as simply experimenting with new approaches to tasks evolved; now, he has integrated AI to improve his daily work processes. The lesson? Dr. Shook has found that AI becomes most effective when he uses it to improve how work gets done, not just to check tasks off his list. He incorporates AI early to capture notes and ideas in real time, then uses clear prompts to organize, categorize, and prioritize these notes into usable outputs like a weekly briefing for his team. This reduces last-minute scrambling and improves the whole team’s accuracy. Shook also uses AI to challenge his assumptions, reveal blind spots, and role-play difficult conversations. His strategies demonstrate that effective AI usage depends on clear inputs, intentional prompts, and active human judgment — allowing the tool to deepen and enhance your own thinking rather than replace it. 13
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