College Students Use AI Tools While Expressing Concerns About Technology

Graduating students at the University of Arizona and the University of Central Florida responded negatively to commencement speakers who praised artificial intelligence. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt spoke at the University of Arizona ceremony on Sunday.

When he said the question is not whether AI will shape the world but whether graduates will shape AI, students booed. Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield addressed graduates at the University of Central Florida days earlier. One audience member shouted "AI sucks" after she described AI as the next industrial revolution.

U.S. college students use AI tools in coursework weekly and 20 percent use them daily. Western University associate professor Jacob Shelley said he suspected students used AI to cheat on a recent final exam. Eight percent of the class received perfect scores on the multiple-choice section while many struggled on the essay portion.

Princeton University faculty voted last week to end its 133-year-old honor code and proctor all in-person exams to address AI-related cheating.

University computer science professor Maitraye Das said students experience cognitive dissonance about AI. Her research found students fear AI will harm critical thinking yet continue using it because they worry about falling behind peers. Anthropic reported in March that AI could handle 94 percent of tasks for computer and math workers.

Tech layoffs reached 110,000 in the first five months of 2026, including Snap's plan to cut 1,000 positions. Shelley said students view AI use as a survival tactic rather than an endorsement. He noted that some universities have promoted AI tools while financial aid has declined over 15 years.