TEENAGER Akash Enjeti isn't afraid to speak up, even when it comes to tackling big issues like gambling reform and artificial intelligence.
The Year 9 Merewether High School student has won a national competition which put his confidence, public speaking and knowledge to the test.
Ahead of the Junior National Rostrum Voice of Youth Public Speaking competition in Melbourne last week, Akash studied current affairs and thought of ideas for speeches.
For his six-minute prepared talk, he took on the topic of AI for the theme "think outside the box".
"I'm quite interested in tech and developing technology," he said.
"I guess my key ending was that [AI] is something that, in a sense, is inevitable as society progresses and we need to manage it carefully."
He said he weighed up the benefits and the potential of AI with the risks and some of the scary things it could mean.
He ultimately found there needed to be a group of people committed to developing policies and protocols around the new technology.
"And, I hope to be one of those people," he said.
The impromptu task posed a different challenge, with competitors given 15 minutes to prepare for a three-minute speech on a topic they've just been given.
Akash, going back to his personal experiences and his knowledge of the news, decided to tackle problem gambling as part of the topic "a helping hand".
"I talked about how the government is finally starting to make changes around policies in Australia," he said.
Impromptu speeches are daunting, but Akash said relating to the audience was key.
He said he opened up about an experience he had with someone bringing out a poker set in an educational setting, and how it felt.
He said "a story that's yours" is something no amount of research can beat.
For anyone struggling with public speaking, he had some words of advice.
"Listen around for what's happening in the world, keep up with the news ... draw on your personal experiences," he said.
"Give it a go and don't be afraid to speak up."
The impressive achievement comes after Akash made it through regional and state levels.
