CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms CHANEY (Curtin) (16:12): Raise Our Voice provides an opportunity for young Australians to draw the parliament's attention to the issues shaping their future and the action they want parliament to take. I'm proud to share from some young people in Curtin. Toni, aged 14, had this to say about disability justice: I am not a burden.

I am not a joke. I am not lesser. I am the same as anyone else, I just need a little help sometimes.

I am autistic. I need Parliament to understand that I have so much to give this world. I play sport, I volunteer in my community, I row for my school, I play basketball for my state, I can play an instrument, and I have an amazing group of friends.

The NDIS has given me support, and without it I may not have been able to do these things. I need Parliament to understand that every dollar you spend on me matters and makes a difference. Sometimes people say things that make it sound like we aren't worthy.

I am lucky. I go to a school that gives me lots of support and makes sure I am treated well. Not every autistic child gets this, but they should.

Autistic teenagers like me need a hospital system that understands our needs, an education system that looks after us, and politicians who see us as adding value to our communities. I am autistic and I am proud. I need Parliament to be proud of us and to take real action for disabled people.

Meg, aged 18, shared her views on AI: Hi, I'm Meg. I'm 18, I'm from the Curtin electorate, and my brain is shrinking. This is not hyperbole; this is AI.

While artificial intelligence has created large-scale changes in society that improve everyday life, it is also slowly eating away at what makes us human. Creativity, innovation and critical thinking are all fried and atrophied as AI replaces them with a click or a tap. As a member of the generation most affected by this change, I refuse to watch corporations profit from AI as it strips away our future.

We need this to be managed. We need change. At university, I have watched my peers compete for grades, only to see the top marks go to essays written by AI.

We are fighting robots, and we are losing. To win this fight, we need to learn how to use AI strategically to expand our thinking instead of limiting it. Creating education programs in schools could be a crucial step— Ms CHANEY: Meg said: To win this fight, we need to learn how to use AI strategically to expand our thinking instead of limiting it.

Creating education programs in schools could be a crucial step towards a world where society isn't paralysed by AI. So, for a smarter future, limit the use of AI. Limit the erosion of your children's brains.

And act to save humanity. Thanks, Tony and Meg. Parliament hears your voices.