The purpose of a commencement speech is to uplift, inspire and embolden new graduates to go out into the world and attempt the impossible. But when the speaker gets it wrong, it can be a wet blanket.
That was the effect Gloria Caulfield, a real estate executive, seemed to have when she addressed the graduating class of the University of Central Florida’s College of Arts and Humanities and its Nicholson School of Communication and Media at a ceremony on May 8.
“The rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution,” she said, addressing a sea of black caps, gowns and tassels, most of them with newly acquired degrees in creative disciplines, including film, animation and media production.
The crowd booed.
“What happened?” Caulfield stammered, looking over her shoulder, as if searching for an escape hatch. “OK, I struck a chord! May I finish? Only a few years ago, A.I. was not a factor in our lives.”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“And now, A.I. capabilities are in the palm of our hands.” Boooooooooo.
One might call it a “read the room” moment.
Ethan Lubin, 22, a graduate who earned his media production and management degree at the Nicholson School, was among the booers. “Talking about artificial intelligence at a college for arts and humanities can be, you know, a bit rough,” Lubin said in an interview, “because it kind of goes against the humanities part.”