UCF Graduates Boo Gloria Caulfield Over AI Praise at 2026 Commencement

14 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 11

Gloria Caulfield, a Tavistock Group executive, was booed at a University of Central Florida commencement after calling artificial intelligence “the next industrial revolution.”
The crowd jeered again when she asked to continue, with one graduate shouting “AI sucks,” while her line that AI was not a factor only 5 years ago drew cheers and applause.
The backlash underscored anxiety among young workers entering a weak job market, where Gallup ranked the U.S. 87th of 141 countries for younger adults saying it was a good time to find a job.
An April AP-NORC poll found 8 in 10 adults under 35 viewed the U.S. economy as very or somewhat poor, helping explain why upbeat AI messages can fall flat with graduates.

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