This summer, our newRoot Labs interns explored a big question: Which AI tool is best for you? Using Excel pairwise comparison formulas, Python web scraping, AWS storage, and Tableau dashboards, they built a system to compare LLMs across efficiency, accuracy, subject mastery, and reasoning ability. Their reflections on AI in school vs. the workplace reveal how learning with AI changes the way we build knowledge.

During my internship at Red Cedar, I discovered that the true essence of software engineering goes beyond writing code—it’s about empathy, problem-solving, and carrying complexity so others don’t have to. From organizing proposals to merging LLM datasets with Python and learning DevOps practices, I gained technical skills and human-centered insights that will shape my career as a computer engineer.