College Graduates Boo Speakers Mentioning AI at 2026 Commencements

Graduates at several universities interrupted commencement speakers with boos when the topic turned to artificial intelligence this spring. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced repeated jeers during his keynote address to about 10,000 University of Arizona graduates.

Schmidt said AI will touch every profession, classroom, hospital, laboratory, person and relationship. He acknowledged student fears that machines are coming and jobs are evaporating. University of Arizona graduate Olivia Malone said the speech felt disrespectful because students face penalties for using AI in class while the speaker promoted the technology.

Malone also noted that Schmidt's selection as speaker drew criticism because his name appears in files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield encountered similar boos during a University of Central Florida keynote this month. Caulfield said the rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution, then asked the audience what happened when the jeering began.

Music executive Scott Borchetta received boos when he told Middle Tennessee State University graduates that AI is rewriting music production. Borchetta said students should make the technology work for them.

The unemployment rate for college graduates ages 22 to 27 has reached its highest level in a dozen years. Sami Wargo, a recent Marquette University graduate, said she has applied for around 30 jobs without success and found an AI-focused commencement speaker tone deaf.

A 2025 Harvard Kennedy School poll found that about 70% of college students view AI as a threat to their job prospects. A Gallup poll of Generation Z showed increasing anger toward AI and declining excitement compared to a year ago.