Gen Z graduates boo speakers mentioning AI at 2026 commencements

Graduation speakers at multiple universities received boos from students when they mentioned AI during May 2026 commencement ceremonies. Business Insider reported that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced boos throughout his address at the University of Arizona.

Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta received similar reactions at Middle Tennessee State University when he advised graduates to accept AI's role in production.

Survey data on attitudes A survey conducted earlier this year by the Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures, and Gallup sampled 1,572 people ages 14 to 29. It found Gen Z excitement toward AI dropped 14 percent over the past year while anger increased.

A separate April survey by AI company Writer and research firm Workplace Intelligence polled 1,200 C-suite executives and 1,200 employees across the US, UK, and Europe. Twenty-nine percent of employees, including 44 percent of Gen Z respondents, said they had undermined or resisted their company's AI strategy.

Cultural responses Some graduates told Business Insider they have searched for months for full-time jobs after college. They expressed resentment toward companies citing AI as a reason for layoffs. Over half of 14- to 29-year-olds still report using AI daily or weekly, according to the Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures, and Gallup study.

The same research noted a growing cultural shift toward older technology and analog practices among some young people.