UCF graduates boo ‘tone deaf’ grad speaker who praised AI

UCF graduates boo ‘tone deaf’ grad speaker who praised AI

UCF graduates boo ‘tone deaf’ grad speaker who praised AI

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/05/13/ucf-graduates-boo-tone-deaf-speaker-who-praised-ai-as-next-industrial-revolution/

Publish Date: 2026-05-13 17:58:00

Source Domain: www.orlandosentinel.com

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– At a University of Central Florida commencement ceremony, speaker Gloria Caulfield’s praise for artificial intelligence drew boos from the graduates.
– Caulfield, executive from Tavistock Development Company, referred to AI as the “next Industrial Revolution,” sparking significant discontent.
– Graduates, like Dillon Delaney, criticized Caulfield’s speech as irrelevant to their studies in digital media and computer science and called it “tone deaf.”
– Caulfield’s remarks highlight a divide between corporate views and public apprehension toward artificial intelligence.
– Public surveys reveal significant concern among adults in the United States about AI’s role in daily life.
– The incident of booing became a viral topic on social media, gaining enormous attention.
– Caulfield did receive some positive feedback, notably when she mentioned AI’s relative recent emergence in everyday life.