Gloria Caulfield's address at University of Central Florida's spring commencement touched a raw nerve.
Graduates booed loudly when she described AI as the next industrial revolution.
The crowd's response exposed tensions between AI enthusiasm and widespread fears over its impact.

Proponents of AI received a stark reminder that many view the technology with deep skepticism.

During University of Central Florida's spring commencement on Saturday, speaker Gloria Caulfield drew boos after proclaiming, "AI is the next industrial revolution."

"What happened? OK, I struck a chord," remarked Caulfield, vice president of real estate firm Strategic Alliances for Tavistock Development company, as the jeers rang out.

"Only a few years ago, AI was not a factor in our lives," she added moments later, this time earning cheers from the audience.

The incident underscores a widening gap between AI advocates and those anxious about its effects. This year alone, at least 12 prominent companies have reduced staff, pointing to AI as a key factor in the cuts. Recent surveys show some young Americans regard the technology as a risk to their future employment.

Caulfield and University of Central Florida officials did not respond promptly to inquiries.

"As an optimist, I believe AI, combined with human intelligence, can tackle humanity's biggest challenges," Caulfield stated later in her remarks.

"Many of you graduates will help bring this vision to life," she told the crowd.

Her message aligns with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's 2026 commencement address at Carnegie Mellon University, where he highlighted AI's potential to create fresh opportunities for the next generation.

Caulfield spoke to students from the College of Arts and Humanities and the Nicholson School of Communication and Media.

Social media commentators suggested the humanities focus amplified the backlash.

One X user posted, "expecting students bankrupted by their education to celebrate the thing that's about to make their degree worthless is the final boss of tone deaf."

"Shocker. Graduates dont love AI as much as the boomers using it to replace their jobs," another wrote on X.

Industry leaders like Anthropic president Daniela Amodei and Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings argue AI will elevate the value of humanities degrees.

In an era prioritizing soft skills such as critical thinking, humanities graduates may appeal more to employers.

Caulfield seemed to nod to this idea in her finale, noting, "Genuine and authentic communication skills are strengths that are required regardless of the direction of your career or where this next industrial revolution takes us."