Microsoft's Brad Smith Defends AI in 3,100-Word Post as Graduates Boo Commencement Hype
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 10
Microsoft's Brad Smith Defends AI in 3,100-Word Post as Graduates Boo Commencement Hype
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jun 10
Summary
Brad Smith used a 3,100-word blog post to answer a wave of commencement protests, saying graduates who boo AI references are delivering a needed "wake-up call" to the industry.
Viral incidents at schools including the University of Arizona pushed Microsoft to respond as student backlash widened beyond single speeches into a broader rejection of executives framing AI as inevitable progress.
Smith struck a conciliatory tone, arguing AI should "serve people, not replace them" and urging adults to "raise the bar," while still telling graduates they are built for an AI-shaped job market.
That message may do little to ease distrust, because it largely repeats the industry case for AI's sweeping impact even as students fear job loss, loss of agency and tech leaders' shifting warnings about the technology.