College students drown out AI-praising commencement speeches with boos — ‘deal with it’ one speaker fires back as students heckle positive pitches for AI’s role

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced a hostile audience during his commencement speech at the University of Arizona, particularly when discussing the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Schmidt’s positive spin on AI and suggestion that graduates could shape the future of this technology were met with boos and disapproval from the audience.
Similar incidents occurred at other universities across the United States, where commencement speakers discussing AI were met with jeers for their optimistic views about the technology’s impact on the job market.
Schmidt suggested that despite fears about AI replacing jobs, the students have the potential to help guide the future of AI, comparing it to assembling a team of AI agents to help achieve things they couldn’t on their own.
Meanwhile, the broader tech industry continues to heavily invest in AI, with predictions varying drastically on AI’s imminent impact, from replacing white-collar jobs to bringing about the next industrial revolution.