‘F*** this guy’: Graduation speakers keep getting booed for talking about artificial intelligence

Graduates at multiple U.S. universities booed commencement speakers when they mentioned artificial intelligence, signaling growing resistance to the technology among young adults. At Middle Tennessee State University, music executive Scott Borchetta faced jeers after calling AI a tool to be leveraged, while real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was met with boos at the University of Central Florida for describing AI as the next industrial revolution. The most intense reaction occurred at the University of Arizona, where former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s May 15 speech was booed nearly nonstop for minutes. Schmidt urged graduates to shape AI’s future, comparing it to boarding a rocket ship, but the crowd’s hostility persisted despite his attempts to engage them on topics like immigration and diversity. Bailey Ekstrom, a 21-year-old economics graduate, described the scene as surreal, noting a student in the crowd shouted, ‘Oh f*** this guy,’ during the speech. Schmidt’s presence at the university had already sparked controversy due to his name appearing in the Epstein files and sexual assault allegations from a former partner, though he has denied wrongdoing. However, graduates said AI was the primary focus of their frustration, with many fearing the technology will eliminate entry-level jobs. About half of new graduates reportedly believe AI will reduce job opportunities, according to a New York Times reference cited in the article. An anonymous anthropology graduate echoed this sentiment, criticizing AI’s role in automated job applications and expressing dismay that their college education coincided with AI’s rapid advancement. Ekstrom, who interned in Washington, recalled witnessing legislators struggle to understand AI during a congressional hearing, reinforcing graduates’ distrust in policymakers’ ability to address the issue. The backlash underscores a generational divide over AI’s potential benefits and risks, particularly in employment and governance.