Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 7
Bard College Commencement Speech Argues Human Intelligence Will Outlast AI in 2026
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 7

Bard College Commencement Speech Argues Human Intelligence Will Outlast AI in 2026

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 7

Summary

  • May 23 remarks at Bard College framed artificial intelligence as a force that clarifies, rather than replaces, what humans uniquely contribute.
  • The adapted commencement speech argues that as machines do more tasks, the value of distinctly human judgment, creativity and moral agency becomes more visible.
  • June 7 publication of the excerpt turns the address into a broader commentary on AI-era anxiety during a graduation season already sensitive to speeches that draw student backlash.
  • The piece places the AI debate in a wider civic context, contending that human intelligence remains central even as artificial intelligence grows more capable.

Insights

Did a graduation speech on AI's threat mask a deeper ethical crisis unfolding within the college's own leadership?
How will graduates navigate an AI future while grappling with their institution's ethical compromises?
With its president exiting over Epstein ties, can Bard College credibly champion a future centered on human values?