The Verge·

🎓Graduates Boo AI Praise at Commencement

Young grads are sick of hearing about AI's promises

TL;DR

University graduates booed executives praising AI at commencement ceremonies, highlighting skepticism among young people entering a job market threatened by AI tools. Viral videos show students criticizing the technology's impact on employment and creativity.

Graduates are openly protesting corporate executives who praise AI during their graduation speeches, with some speakers like Eric Schmidt facing loud jeers from the audience. This backlash stems from graduates' concerns about entering a job market where creative professions face existential threats due to generative AI tools. The strongest reactions come from liberal arts and humanities students, who feel forced to accept technology they're skeptical of. Polling shows that while Gen Z uses AI frequently, they are also its biggest critics.

Graduates Boo AI Praise at Commencement — The Verge

Key Points

1

Viral videos show graduates heckling executives like Eric Schmidt during commencement speeches, highlighting widespread student frustration with AI's impact on job prospects and creative fields.

2

Liberal arts and humanities students are at the forefront of this backlash, as their chosen professions face significant disruption from generative AI tools.

3

A major nonfiction book about truth in the age of AI contained numerous fake or misattributed quotes hallucinated by AI tools, adding to student skepticism.

4

According to a recent Gallup poll, seven out of 10 Americans now oppose building AI data centers in their local area due to environmental concerns and energy demands.

5

Nearly half of all proposed data center projects have either been scrapped or delayed this year as opposition grows around the country.

Why It Matters

If you're a recent graduate entering a field threatened by generative AI, your skepticism is shared. Students are protesting not just because they dislike AI but because it's failing to deliver on promises and disrupting their career paths.

AI backlashstudent protestscommencement speechesgenerative AIjob market

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

If you're a recent graduate entering a field threatened by generative AI, your skepticism is shared. Students are protesting not just because they dislike AI but because it's failing to deliver on promises and disrupting their career paths.

What happened?

University graduates booed executives praising AI at commencement ceremonies, highlighting skepticism among young people entering a job market threatened by AI tools. Viral videos show students criticizing the technology's impact on employment and creativity.

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