The University of Central Florida graduation ceremony drew controversy.
During a commencement speech for the University of Central Florida, guest speaker Gloria Caulfield was booed for her mention of artificial intelligence.
Part of its annual spring ceremony, UCF brought a guest speaker to bestow words of encouragement to now job-seeking graduates. The class of 2026 attended in red robes and shining smiles until their guest speaker said one thing: “The rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution.” The students clamored in disapproval, leaving the guest speaker confused. “What happened?” she said, stunned. “Okay, I struck a chord.”
Caulfield, a Florida-based businesswoman, currently serves as the Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Tavistock Development Company, overseeing the health and medical partnerships. Caulfield had been positioned to speak for the university for its graduation, specifically its College of Arts and Humanities for the Nicholson School of Communication and Media.
AI Praise
“Only a few years ago, AI was not a factor in our lives,” she continued. The statement came with a loud roar and applause from the student body in approval. The speech continued to get mixed reactions from the crowd, who face uncertainty as they seek to start their careers while AI reshapes the workforce.
A recent poll from Gallup found that 48 percent of Gen Z believe that the risks AI poses to the workforce outweigh its benefits.
Many took to social media to comment on the situation. On Reddit, users who were part of the graduating class noted that Caulfield started her speech “praising” Jeff Bezos, “It was a very out-of-touch and controversial topic to speak about.” A different user suggested the outcry to this speech could have an impact on how AI is discussed, “I’m glad for the booing. I’m glad she was caught off guard. Hopefully, people in the right places will notice the significance of the response and adjust a few things.”
“This graduation speech moment is notable, and her amazed shock at having failed to read the room feels instructive,” remarked software engineer Cabel Sasser on BlueSky. “When you’re inside the bubble, you think everybody else is. But everybody isn’t.”
This post originally appeared at inc.com.
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