Graduates Reject AI: A Growing Trend in US Universities
As graduation season unfolds across the United States, a surprising trend has emerged: graduates are booing artificial intelligence (AI). This phenomenon is not just a fleeting moment of discontent but reflects deeper anxieties about the role of AI in their future careers and academic lives.
The Next Industrial Revolution
One of the earliest instances of this trend occurred at the University of Central Florida. During a ceremony for arts and humanities graduates, real estate executive Gloria Caulfield delivered a speech that touched on the transformative power of AI. She described AI as “the next industrial revolution,” which prompted a wave of boos from the audience. Despite the negative reaction, she continued her speech, emphasizing how AI was once an unfamiliar concept but is now deeply integrated into daily life.
A video clip of her speech circulated widely on social media, highlighting the growing unease among students regarding AI’s impact on their futures.
A Generation’s ‘Rational Fear’
Another example came when former Google CEO Eric Schmidt spoke at the University of Arizona’s graduation ceremony. Throughout his speech, he faced heckling from the crowd, especially when he mentioned Time Magazine’s selection of “Architects of AI” as its person of the year for 2025. The audience’s disapproval was so loud that Schmidt paused his speech, acknowledging the widespread concern about AI’s influence on various aspects of life.
Schmidt emphasized that AI would touch every profession, classroom, hospital, laboratory, and personal relationship, further fueling the crowd’s discontent.
A Lesson Learned
At Glendale Community College in Arizona, a glitch during a graduation ceremony became a viral sensation. The event featured a live stream where graduates’ names were supposed to appear on screen. However, the system malfunctioned, displaying generic messages like “Congratulations Graduate!” instead of individual names.
Student Grace Riemer shared her experience, noting that her name wasn’t called out when she was on stage. The college’s president, Tiffany Hernandez, addressed the issue, explaining that they were using a new AI system to read names. This led to further outbursts from the crowd, with some graduates leaving the ceremony.
Hernandez later announced that graduates who hadn’t yet walked on stage could do so with a human calling out their names, leading to a more positive outcome for many attendees.
What Does This Viral Trend Mean?
Experts suggest that while these incidents may not reflect a blanket rejection of AI, they highlight the growing anxieties surrounding its integration into higher education. Xueyin Zha, from the Australian National University’s Integrated AI Network, notes that students are grappling with unclear institutional guidance on how to navigate the age of AI.
Many students feel caught between being told that AI will transform every field while struggling with the implications for their learning and academic integrity. Social media comments often point out the contradiction between being banned from using AI and being lectured on its benefits.
AI Fatigue and Public Scepticism
Sarah Keith, a senior lecturer in media at Macquarie University, believes that many young people are experiencing AI fatigue. With AI becoming ubiquitous in platforms, software, and services, it is nearly impossible to avoid. This proliferation of AI-produced content has led to increased critical scrutiny of the technology.
Keith also highlights public scepticism about whether AI truly improves people’s lives. Some students have even adopted the term “AI vegan” to describe their intentional avoidance of AI tools.
Graduates and the Job Market
A Harvard Kennedy School poll found that about 70% of US university students view AI as a threat to landing a job. Dr. Keith explains that media coverage of AI’s impact on entry-level positions and workforce changes at companies like Atlassian has heightened these concerns.
For recent graduates, entering a competitive job market influenced by AI is daunting. However, the issues extend beyond employment. Media attention has also focused on AI’s environmental impact and the use of copyrighted material without proper acknowledgment or payment.
Navigating Complex Terrain
Universities are still figuring out what appropriate AI usage looks like. Policies around AI are evolving, and experts emphasize that this complexity is not due to negligence but rather the vast potential and challenges of AI.
While AI can enhance thinking, learning, and creativity, it can also hinder foundational skill acquisition. The balance between leveraging AI’s benefits and avoiding its harms remains a critical challenge for educators and students alike.
