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2026 Graduation Season: AI Backlash Goes National as Multiple Commencement Speakers Booed
TechCrunch declares 'if you're giving a commencement speech in 2026, maybe don't mention AI' after UCF students yelled 'AI SUCKS!' at real estate exec Gloria Caulfield (May 8), Middle Tennessee State booed its speaker, and Eric Schmidt got the loudest reception yet at Arizona. NBC News compiled footage across all incidents. A Gallup poll shows only 43% of Americans aged 15-34 believe it's a good time to find a job locally — graduates see AI as 'the cruel new face of hyper-scaling capitalism.'
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