As the class of 2026 graduates, a reality check is setting in: AI is not just a promise of a better future, but also a threat to their job prospects. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt learned this the hard way when he told University of Arizona graduates that their task is to help shape AI, only to be met with a chorus of boos.

Despite the initial shock, Schmidt acknowledged the fears about disappearing jobs and a broken future as "rational." This sentiment was echoed at other commencement ceremonies, including those at the University of Central Florida and Middle Tennessee State University, where graduates also jeered at AI-themed speeches.

However, the skepticism has not deterred companies like OpenAI, which continues to raise enormous sums of money, launch new partnerships, and win court cases. Interestingly, some unlikely supporters, such as actress Reese Witherspoon, have begun to advocate for embracing AI, warning that those who do not will be replaced by it.

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