14-year-old Sirish Subash built an AI-powered pesticide detector

A 14-year-old Georgia student has turned a common kitchen concern into an award-winning science project. Sirish Subash, a ninth grader from Snellville, built PestiSCAND, a handheld device designed to detect pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables. As reported by USA Today, his invention earned him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist in October 2024, along with a $25,000 prize in the annual 3M and Discovery Education competition. Subash developed the device after becoming interested in the difficulty consumers face in knowing what may remain on produce even after it has been washed. Reportedly, using artificial intelligence, PestiSCAND was tested on spinach and tomatoes and recorded accuracy of more than 85%, according to 3M. Subash says the device is intended to complement washing, not replace it, by offering consumers another way to check their produce.How a 14-year-old created an AI-powered portable pesticide detectorSubash’s invention, called PestiSCAND, is intended to give people a way of checking produce at home rather than relying solely on washing.Pesticide residues can remain on food crops after they have been harvested, and consumers generally have little way of...