Graduates Boo AI Mentions at Commencement Speeches

Commencement speakers at two US universities faced booing from graduates when discussing artificial intelligence, reflecting growing student anxiety about AI's impact on job prospects. At the University of Central Florida, Gloria Caulfield, an executive at Tavistock Development Company, was interrupted by boos after calling AI "the next industrial revolution." She attempted to continue but was met with cheers when she paused. At the University of Arizona, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed before and during his speech, particularly when he said "You will help shape artificial intelligence." Schmidt tried to speak over the disruption, urging students to embrace AI. In contrast, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faced no audible pushback at Carnegie Mellon's commencement. A Gallup poll found only 43% of Americans aged 15-34 believe it's a good time to find a local job, down from 75% in 2022. Journalist Brian Merchant characterized AI as "the cruel new face of hyper-scaling capitalism." Graduates expressed frustration with generic praise of corporate leaders and a sense that their future is predetermined.