Graduates are booing pep talks on AI at college commencements
Graduates at multiple U.S. universities booed commencement speakers—including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and real estate executive Gloria Caulfield—when they discussed AI’s impact on careers, reflecting widespread student anxiety. Polls show 70% of college students view AI as a threat to job prospects, while skepticism and anger toward the technology have risen sharply among Gen Z.
College graduates across the U.S. disrupted commencement speeches this year by booing when speakers addressed artificial intelligence, signaling deep unease about its future role in the workforce. At the University of Arizona, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced sustained boos during his keynote to 10,000 graduates after warning AI would transform every profession. ‘I know what many of you are feeling about that,’ Schmidt acknowledged, admitting students fear jobs are disappearing. Olivia Malone, a 22-year-old law school-bound graduate, called the speech ‘disrespectful,’ arguing students are already penalized for using AI while being told to embrace it. Similar reactions occurred at other universities. At the University of Central Florida, real estate executive Gloria Caulfield drew boos when she called AI the ‘next industrial revolution,’ though she later noted its rapid integration into daily life prompted the backlash. A 2025 Harvard Institute of Politics poll found 70% of college students see AI as a career threat, while a Gallup survey revealed half of Gen Z users—despite regular engagement with AI—now feel anger toward it, with declining optimism. Speakers like Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records, also faced resistance at Middle Tennessee State University, where he urged graduates to ‘deal with’ AI’s disruption in music production. Borchetta framed the technology as a tool, but students rejected the tone. Schmidt’s advice—that fear is valid but students can shape AI’s future—fell flat with Malone, who dismissed it as ‘the longest Gemini ad ever,’ accusing him of self-promotion. The booing reflects broader trends: surveys show Gen Z’s skepticism toward AI has surged, even as daily usage remains common. Students like Malone argue institutions are sending mixed messages, discouraging AI use in education while pushing its adoption in professional settings. The backlash highlights a generational divide over technology’s role in careers, with graduates demanding clearer guidance amid uncertainty.
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