AI Becomes a Taboo Word at U.S. University Commencement Speeches

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[The Financial News]  As U.S. universities enter graduation season, more commencement speakers are being booed by graduates after mentioning Artificial Intelligence (AI).
\r\nAs AI advances rapidly and fuels job anxiety among young people, an unusual scene is unfolding at U.S. commencement ceremonies, where IT and business leaders invited to speak are facing fierce boos from graduates.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, was booed by students after taking the stage as a commencement speaker at the University of Arizona on the 15th local time.
BBC said that when Schmidt compared the current AI boom to the rise of computers 40 years ago and spoke about AI's future value, jeers and boos broke out from around the auditorium.
In response to the sudden backlash, Schmidt tried to calm the crowd, saying, "I know very well how many of you feel about this. I hear you."
Addressing graduates who were just entering the labor market, he acknowledged that "your fears about AI are reasonable," but urged them to adapt to the powerful technology, saying, "AI is going to shake up the world." He concluded by saying, "The future is not yet written. Now it is your turn to think about where you will take AI and help shape that future."
This kind of backlash is not limited to the former CEO alone. At U.S. universities, speakers who mention "AI" during commencement speeches are increasingly running into collective hostility from students.
Earlier this month at the University of Central Florida (UCF) commencement ceremony, real estate executive Gloria Colfield was met with boos from the audience the moment she said, "The rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution."
At Middle Tennessee State University, Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records, also drew strong criticism from graduates after mentioning AI. Borchetta responded, saying, "Accept it. As I said, AI is just a tool," and the exchange left the room tense.
Analysts say the tension at these ceremonies stems from deep-seated anxiety among young Americans that they could lose jobs as AI spreads in the workplace. Recent polls show that many college students see AI as both a threat to their future and an obstacle to intellectual growth.
According to the "2026 State of Higher Education Study" jointly conducted by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup, many students are reconsidering their majors or fields of study because of fears about job automation. Instead of pursuing early-stage IT skills or statistical analysis, which are easier to replace with AI, they are turning toward critical thinking, communication, and more human-centered academic fields.
Another survey by the Pew Research Center found that 50% of U.S. adults said they were "more concerned than excited" about the growing use of AI in daily life. By contrast, only 10% said they were "more excited than concerned."
Experts predict that "the more a field involves IT-related work that can be easily mimicked or replaced, the faster employment structures are being reshaped by new technology," adding that "the job anxiety and resistance felt by graduates about to enter society will remain a major factor in the spread of technology for some time."
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jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter