Microsoft responds as graduates boo AI talk at college ceremonies

In short: Viral graduation videos show students booing speakers who praise AI, and Microsoft says the backlash should be taken seriously.

What's going on

College graduation ceremonies in the US have become an unexpected place for public pushback against AI. Several viral clips show graduates booing and heckling when speakers talk excitedly about AI and the future.

Examples include former Google CEO Eric Schmidt being loudly booed at the University of Arizona. Another clip shows a speaker in Florida seeming surprised when students booed after AI was described as “the next industrial revolution.”

Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith responded in a long blog post of more than 3,100 words. He said students who “grimace or even boo” at mentions of AI are delivering a “wake-up call,” and that it is time to “raise the bar.” In a separate post on X, Smith added that the booing graduates are “reminding us that AI should serve people, not replace them.”

The Verge notes that these reactions reflect wider public discomfort with AI, even as big tech companies add AI features to many products. Young people may use AI tools, but still feel uneasy about them, especially when it comes to jobs, privacy, and how much control users really have.

What to watch

Expect more companies to change how they talk about AI in public, especially around jobs. Graduation speeches are a bit like a report card for public trust, and the boos suggest many people do not believe reassurances from tech leaders yet. How Microsoft and others back up “AI should serve people” with real policies and product choices will be closely watched.

Source: The Verge AI