AI’s Unwelcome Invitation to Commencement

The recent graduation season has seen students interrupting commencement speeches to express their discontent with mentions of artificial intelligence. This reaction raises questions about the perception of AI among younger generations and what it says about our collective anxiety.

One explanation for this reaction is that students are fed up with hearing promises and warnings about AI without seeing tangible improvements in their lives. The lack of job security and stability, combined with rising living costs, has created a sense of economic uncertainty. This context can be seen as driving the boos directed at speakers like Gloria Caulfield and Eric Schmidt.

The narrative surrounding AI’s impact on employment is often framed as a future threat rather than an ongoing issue. However, it’s clear that many young people are already grappling with its consequences. The idea that AI will “reinvent computing” or provide new opportunities for assembly lines of agents may not resonate with those facing unemployment and unaffordable education.

A recent Gallup poll showed a steep drop in optimism among Americans aged 15 to 34, which is telling. This pessimism, far from being solely directed at AI, is also a symptom of broader societal concerns – an economy that seems stacked against young people, an uncertain future, and the perception that their aspirations are being systematically devalued.

Tech industry critic Brian Merchant has observed that AI represents “the cruel new face of hyper-scaling capitalism.” This perspective highlights how the benefits of technological advancements often accrue to a select few while leaving many others behind. The language used by some proponents of AI can come across as dismissive or oblivious to these realities.

The fact that even when speeches didn’t mention AI explicitly, resilience was a recurring theme underscores the collective anxiety and disillusionment among young people. They are inheriting a world where jobs seem scarce, the climate is under threat, politics are fractured, and it’s difficult to see how their aspirations can be achieved without significant sacrifice or compromise.

This moment says that we’re not just grappling with technological change; we’re struggling with fundamental questions of justice and equality. It’s no longer enough for speakers to tout the benefits of AI without acknowledging its costs and who bears them. The booing, while sometimes boorish in expression, represents a legitimate voice of frustration – one that deserves to be heard and addressed rather than dismissed as mere disaffection.

In this context, the commencement season offers more than just a chance for well-intentioned speeches; it’s also an opportunity to listen to what young people are saying. If we truly believe in the promise of AI, perhaps it’s time to live up to that promise by creating a future where everyone benefits from technological advancements, not just those at the helm.