tech
Why new grads are booing commencement speakers: There's an 'ambient anxiety that AI is going to make things dramatically worse'
Recent commencement speakers including Google's Eric Schmidt have been booed for praising AI and encouraging students to use it as they embark on their careers.
TL;DR
- University commencement speakers have been met with boos when discussing AI.
- Gen Z graduates are concerned that AI is negatively impacting the entry-level job market.
- Unemployment rates for recent college graduates are higher than the general workforce.
- Competition for entry-level jobs is increasing, with fewer entry-level positions available.
- Students worry that AI is taking away job opportunities and exacerbating existing anxieties about the future.
- Some speakers acknowledged student fears but urged them to shape AI's future.
- Resistance to AI includes concerns about critical thinking, creativity, and its impact on humaneness.
- Gen Z's negative emotions about AI, including anger and anxiety, have intensified.