US graduates boo AI at ceremonies, Microsoft president urges industry response

In recent weeks, boos have erupted at several US graduation ceremonies whenever speakers promoted AI technology. The class of 2026 expressed their dissatisfaction with AI in a direct way. Microsoft President Brad Smith noticed this sentiment and said in an interview that the industry must respond properly and prove it can address people's concerns seriously and credibly.

In a blog post, Smith argued that AI should enhance human abilities, not replace them. He mentioned that Princeton graduates rejected a commencement jacket design because they suspected it was made with AI. Smith believes AI's integration into the economy may be slower than the most optimistic supporters claim, but history shows people will adapt. He stressed that "human ambition cannot be suppressed."

Microsoft is integrating AI into most of its software products and plans to spend about $190 billion in capital expenditure this year, much of it on data centers and other infrastructure. Mustafa Suleyman, head of Microsoft's AI model development, previously predicted that most white-collar jobs would be automated within 18 months, but later clarified he meant AI's ability to perform single tasks. Smith and Microsoft remain optimistic about AI, calling it "a boom" that will drive productivity growth. Last month, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood gave a commencement speech at Duke University without mentioning AI once and received no boos.