Arlington high school reverses course on plan to use AI to pronounce student names during graduation
Arlington high school reverses course on plan to use AI to pronounce student names during graduation
Publish Date: 2026-05-07 14:44:00
Source Domain: wtop.com
- Washington-Liberty High School in Northern Virginia abandoned plans to use an AI program named Tassel to help pronounce student names correctly during graduation, following student feedback.
- The initial plan intended to use the AI to prevent frequent mispronunciations of names, as explained by Principal Alexander Duncan III.
- The school district, Arlington Public Schools, announced the change in a statement by spokeswoman Christina Arpante, noting students preferred their names be read by a familiar teacher’s voice.
- Parents and students expressed concerns that using an AI for pronouncing names during a significant ceremony like graduation would make the event seem impersonal and standardized instead of authentic and personalized.
- Fairfax County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools are not considering similar AI software for reading student names during graduation ceremonies.
