Florida students boo graduation speaker who called AI ‘next Industrial Revolution’ | AI (artificial intelligence)
Although college graduations usually involve a speaker giving advice to students, a recent ceremony featured students voicing their opinions out loud to the speaker.
The 2026 graduate of the University of Central Florida was booed as a real estate development executive talked about “the rise of artificial intelligence being the next Industrial Revolution” and “living in a time of profound change.”
The crowd of students was so loud that Gloria Caulfield paused, moved away from the podium, and threw her hands in the air.
“Wow, what happened?” he asked before letting out a nervous laugh: “Okay, I’ve sparked some interest. Can I finish?”
As the crowd calmed down, Caulfield continued. “Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence was not a factor in our lives.” This seemed to cheer them up and prompted thunderous applause.
“There’s a bipolar issue here, I see,” Caulfield said as he moved on for the third time: “AI capabilities are in the palms of our hands,” he said, before the crowd booed again. “Oh, I love it, passion: let’s go,” he said playfully.
He continued, like a teacher scolding students for disrupting order: “Okay, I don’t mean to get giggly when I say this. We’ve been through this before.”
As the Internet began to become widespread, he began to compare the situation of current graduates with the situation when they finished university. “I know it sounds fun, but at the time we had no idea how these technologies would impact the world and our lives,” Caulfield said. “There were some concerns and concerns that we’re facing now, but ultimately this has been a game-changer in terms of global economic development and the proliferation of new businesses.”
The crowd did not interrupt the rest of his speech, but the boos that rang through the arena reflected a real source of anxiety gripping students across the country. Graduating college seniors are concerned that AI has already transformed some jobs and could eventually replace others entirely. Pressure to choose a major AI-resistant career Students said tech CEOs are slashing workforces based on claims that AI could replace some jobs and increase productivity on an unprecedented scale. As AI affects everything, industries outside of Silicon Valley do not appear to be immune. graphic design with Hollywood And journalism.
According to a study, the majority of recent college graduates see artificial intelligence as a threat to their job prospects. 2025 survey By the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics.
The University of Central Florida did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
