AI announcer at Glendale Community College misread names at graduation

In short: Glendale Community College paused its graduation ceremony after an AI announcer mispronounced and skipped some students’ names, and the school later offered do-overs with a human announcer.

What happened

Glendale Community College in Arizona used an AI name-reading tool during a commencement ceremony, according to a livestream of the event. AI is short for artificial intelligence, which is software that can do some tasks that usually need a person, like reading names out loud.

During the ceremony, the AI voice mispronounced some names and skipped others entirely. The Verge reported that the problems were linked to timing issues as students walked across the stage, meaning the system could not keep up with the pace.

The ceremony was paused at least twice while staff tried to fix the issues. The college’s president, Tiffany Hernandez, apologized and said the AI tool was responsible. She initially told affected graduates they would not be able to walk again, but after backlash, many were later given a do-over with a real person reading their names.

Why it matters

More schools are using AI tools for graduations because they promise accurate name pronunciation, like letting students “pre-record” the right version of their name ahead of time (similar to leaving a voicemail greeting). This incident shows that even if the name is correct, the moment can still go wrong if the system does not match real life timing, and it can also feel less personal than a human announcer.

Source: The Verge AI