Where tech meets policy: What the G20 fly-in taught me about innovation and trade

Junior computer science major Andres Zubizarreta recently attended an educational seminar, known as a “fly-in,” on the topic of the upcoming G20 Summit taking place in December in Miami. Presented by FIU’s center in Washington, D.C., the three-day experience in the nation’s capital had students visiting key institutions and meeting with diplomats, economists and policymakers—among them the former Polish President Andrzej Duda, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and maritime security expert Ian Ralby – to understand the primary issues expected to shape the gathering of representatives from 19 sovereign countries, the European Union and the African Union: trade, collaboration and technology/innovation. Together, its members represent roughly 85% of global economic output, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world's population. Zubizarreta wrote about his time on the fly-in.

Last month, one morning well before sunrise, I boarded a flight from Miami to Washington, D.C., far too excited to sleep. Over three days, I would meet a former European president, sit in on a Senate hearing on rogue AI and pitch my own policy idea.

As a junior majoring in computer science at FIU, with minors in project management and political science, I build technology for one reason: to make people's lives easier. This summer, I built an AI chatbot that answers Coral Gables residents' permit questions in plain language, and now I'm building another for FIU's College of Business. Yet I've learned that code alone can't open every door. Policy decides who gets through.

Why Washington

That lesson began long before FIU. After growing up in Miami, I set out on my own to Italy, Spain and finally France. Even as an Italian citizen, I got trapped in bureaucratic loops: a resident ID required a local bank account, yet no bank would open one without that ID. Meanwhile, in Madrid, I worked as an IT operations supervisor at Elavon, a U.S. Bank subsidiary, keeping payment systems running. Those years taught me resilience and showed me how deeply rules shape people's lives.

So, when FIU in DC accepted me for its Talent Lab's G20: Global Leadership, Innovation & Economic Policy Fly-In, I couldn't stop smiling. With the G20 Leaders' Summit coming to Doral in December, this was my chance to enter the rooms where those rules are written.

In the room where it happens

Within hours of landing, I sat completely starstruck as I met face to face with former Polish President Andrzej Duda. Speaking candidly with our small group, he traced Poland's rebuilding and the years of patient diplomacy that earned it an invitation to this year's G20. I left convinced that lasting change comes from leaders who think in decades, not news cycles.

That same afternoon, I walked into a Senate hearing on rogue AI agents and how to secure the homeland against them, and it gave me chills. AI systems like mine were being debated as a national security issue. Sitting there, I understood why my chatbots should always show where their answers come from.

The next day, the focus shifted from security to the economy. At the Senate Finance Committee, Mattie Wheeler explained how tax and trade law turns G20 commitments into U.S. policy. It struck me that the agreements world leaders reach in Doral this December won't change Americans' lives until Congress writes them into law. Later, the president of Auxilium Worldwide, a nonprofit that tackles a diverse mix of international and humanitarian issues, introduced me to maritime security, a field I had never considered.

As evening fell, the G20 Miami Preview reception buzzed with leaders, among them Ambassador Steven J. Green, namesake of FIU's Green School. There, I learned that FIU is bringing IonQ's Superion 256 quantum computer to campus in 2027. The news hit close to home: in my course on computer architecture this semester, I'm learning how classical processors handle bits, and soon FIU students will experiment with qubits.

Putting it to work

After two days of listening, we finally got our turn to lead. My group drew the hackathon challenge "Making It Easier to Innovate," so we proposed the Lab-to-Launch Passport: test a product once in a regulator-supervised trial, then earn fast-track reviews across G20 economies. To make sure everyone in the room could follow, I drew on my ENC 3249 technical writing class. We replaced terms like "regulatory sandbox" with "testing zone," added a short glossary explaining words such as "regulator" and "investor," and tested every slide against one question: Could a high school student understand this?

Then came the moment I still replay in my head. FIU in DC had arranged my courtesy call with Ryan Carpenter of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonpartisan think tank on AI and U.S. competitiveness. As he walked me through SCSP's projects for the next six months, I was hooked. When I shared my story and AI work, he asked me to send my resume and apply for a spring 2027 position. Within days, I had done both.

Before our flight home that night, I strolled the National Mall with classmates, letting everything sink in.

What comes next

I arrived expecting to learn about the G20. What I didn't expect was to leave knowing exactly where I fit: between the people who build technology and the people who write its rules. I've since been accepted to the Green School's Semester in Washington, D.C., for spring 2027, pending an internship placement. Until December, I'm also proud to be one of 15 students representing FIU in G20 activities.

So, my advice to fellow Panthers is simple: apply, even if your major doesn't sound like policy. Watch for Talent Lab fly-in seminars at washingtondc.fiu.edu. Once you're there, research every speaker, ask one real question and follow up within 24 hours. After all, one conversation can open a door you never knew existed.