Welcome to The Lede Podcast. Around midnight on April 16, 2025, Harvard computer-science student Chen Zimo learned that the Department of Homeland Security was threatening to revoke Harvard’s international-student certification. Fearing visa loss, he logged into the brand-new ChatGPT o3 with its Deep Research tool. He asked, “Can DHS really decertify Harvard, and what would happen to current F-1 students?” Within twenty minutes, ChatGPT delivered a thirty-two-page breakdown. It explained that while DHS technically has the power to decertify schools—it has done so for sham universities—using it against a prestigious institution like Harvard would be “unprecedented and legally dubious.” The tool even mapped a likely timeline, predicting a temporary restraining order—which Harvard obtained days later. As Chen put it, “After working with it for five hours, I felt like there was nothing I should be too worried about.” Once an optimist about American rule of law, he now describes his stance as “extremely skeptical.” Still, Chen hopes to remain in the U.S. after graduation. This is The Lede Podcast.
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