UCF Graduation Speaker Faces Backlash for AI Remarks, Sparking Student Protests
During a commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Gloria Caulfield, President of the Lake Nona Institute and Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Tavistock, faced a strong reaction from graduates when she referred to artificial intelligence (AI) as the 'next Industrial Revolution.' The event, held at UCF's on-campus basketball arena, was attended by graduates from the College of Arts and Humanities and the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. Caulfield's comments were met with boos and jeers from the audience, with one student audibly shouting 'AI sucks!' The reaction was particularly intense given the graduates' fields of study, which include journalism, communications, and the arts—areas often discussed in the context of AI's disruptive impacts. The incident was widely shared on social media, with many posts criticizing Caulfield's remarks and expressing solidarity with the students. 
