TY film offers insights on AI
Two Loreto College Mullingar TY students have won the People’s Choice Award at the national final of Trócaire’s The Right Focus 2026 documentary competition. Linda Golubeva and Mya O’Reilly received the award for their documentary, ‘How AI Affects our Environment’.
The documentary was shown at the Lighthouse Theatre along with 10 others from across the country.
Linda and Mya worked on the piece for most of the year, and last week they sat down alongside their teacher Deirdre O’Reilly to discuss their success, and the film.
“AI has become a big part of our lives, because everybody uses it in school, in work, in writing, and in homework,” said Mya.
“There have also been data centres set up around our area and there have been protests as well, so that’s really been affecting the environment,” added Linda.
Throughout the filming process, the duo discovered some concerning aspects regarding AI, specifically just how biased it can be. “We were talking to our teacher who is the head of robotics and leadership of women in STEM, and she told us if you generate pictures of a hand, each one will be a white male hand in a different position.” The documentary also touched on the fear that creativity may become an endangered skill. “Even superstars like pop singers are losing income because of AI.
“There’s been articles about Dua Lipa saying that AI has stolen the beats to some of her songs and AI is even making its own songs now.”
Throughout the students’ research, Ms O’Reilly, Loreto TY coordinator, had even found herself shocked by the power of artificial intelligence. “The girls were sitting at a computer and asked it to write a poetry essay for school – in seconds, it had generated a full essay. It was like a good three or four pages of writing.”
The girls attended the awards ceremony at the Lighthouse Theatre with Deirdre and the rest of their classmates.
The girls explained that they had no idea they would win. “It took me a second to actually register that it was our names that were called out,” said Linda. “There may have been a few tears over there, we were so proud of them,” said Deirdre.
The two girls also used their knowledge to better educate people of the uses and dangers of AI engines. “We had primary school students in for the tech fair and we had a game that was like ‘this is real’, ‘this is AI’, and ‘this is how you can tell’.
“We taught them how to use robots as well.”
The girls have discovered a love for the media since taking part in the competition; Mya has always wanted to make something like this, and Linda definitely wants to do something based in the media.
They will be on the media stand at the school’s upcoming TY showcase for parents.