Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield (left) was the graduation speaker at University of Central Florida and Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta spoke at Middle Tennessee State University’s graduation. Both speakers were booed by students when they brought up artificial intelligence.
University of Central Florida and Middle Tennessee State University via Storyful/Screenshots by NPR
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University of Central Florida and Middle Tennessee State University via Storyful/Screenshots by NPR
At Glendale Community College’s recent graduation ceremony just outside Phoenix, a mix-up occurred as students were about to receive their diplomas. The names announced did not match the graduates, and some names were skipped entirely.
College president Tiffany Hernandez addressed the issue, explaining, “We’re using a new AI system as our reader,” which elicited boos from the audience. The college later attributed the problem to technical difficulties and apologized to the students.
Other speakers at commencement events who have touched on the transformative role of artificial intelligence have also encountered negative reactions from the graduating class of 2026.
On May 8, Gloria Caulfield, a real estate executive, described AI as “the next industrial revolution” to the graduating class at the University of Central Florida, which was met with immediate boos.
“OK, I struck a chord,” Caulfield responded.
Similarly, students at Middle Tennessee State University booed Scott Borschetta, a record executive, during their May 9 commencement. He remarked, “AI is rewriting production as we sit here,” prompting him to tell the students, “Deal with it. Like I said, it’s a tool.” He further encouraged them, “Then do something about it. It’s a tool. Make it work for you.” despite continued boos.
Eric Schmidt, who spoke to University of Arizona graduates on May 15, also faced boos. He stated, “The question is not whether AI will shape the world. It will. The question is whether you will help shape artificial intelligence.”
ChatGPT, introduced in 2022 when many of this year’s graduates began college, has been embraced for both positive and negative purposes, from business innovation to academic dishonesty.
These experiences have led many graduates to feel that their boos are warranted.
“I think my gut reaction was I would be one of those people in the crowd booing,” said Maggie Simmons, who is set to graduate from the University of Denver next month.
She expressed her concerns to NPR about the environmental impact of AI and its effects on Black and minority communities. AI language models can reinforce systemic racism, and data centers for AI systems often disproportionately affect minority neighborhoods.
Simmons, who studied molecular biology and Spanish to pursue a career in pediatrics, emphasized, “The future should be these people in this room that are earning their degree and now going out into the workforce. We should be celebrating them and their brains, not some artificial intelligence that in the future is going to take their jobs and especially without regulation.”
Kareen Gill, a recent political science graduate from American University, shares the sentiment of her generation’s skepticism toward AI.
“I think at the beginning we were excited about it and it was this cool thing, ‘Oh, I can write an essay for you,’ but now like, we don’t want that anymore and we don’t want it messing with our job prospects and messing with the jobs that we’ve worked for years — so hard for four years — to kind of be eligible for,” Gill remarked.
Gill noted that AI is replacing some job roles, such as internships and entry-level positions like phone answering, impacting job availability for new graduates.
“So we’re seeing that firsthand and we’re seeing how much it’s disadvantaging us,” she observed. “But I don’t think that older generations are necessarily in our shoes in that way. It’s not really going to impact their future on the rest of their adulthood in the same way.”
According to a March poll from Quinnipiac University, generational differences exist in attitudes toward AI and job security.
“Gen Z, despite being more familiar with AI, is the most pessimistic about jobs, with 81% saying that AI will decrease job opportunities,” stated Chetan Jaiswal, an associate professor of computer science at Quinnipiac involved in the poll.
Jaiswal indicated that the poll reflects a growing concern among Americans about AI’s implications, despite initial excitement.
“People are not rejecting AI, but people are asking questions now since the initial AI fever is gone,” Jaiswal explained.
Gill echoed this sentiment, noting that her generation’s concerns about AI extend beyond initial job prospects.
“How they’re making billionaires richer and depleting our environment has really opened our eyes to the ripple effects of AI,” Gill stated.
The Quinnipiac poll also revealed that only 5% of Americans believe AI development is being guided by entities that reflect their interests.
