Microsoft President Brad Smith Responds to Student Backlash Against AI at Graduations
Brad Smith’s 3,100-word blog post addresses the growing disconnect between technology leaders and younger generations, though critics question the credibility of executives who previously warned of AI risks.
Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith has published a detailed blog post addressing the recent wave of viral videos showing college graduates booing commencement speakers who promote artificial intelligence. The response follows specific incidents, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt being heckled at the University of Arizona and another speaker in Florida being booed when referring to AI as "the next industrial revolution." Smith characterised the student backlash as a necessary wake-up call, urging the industry to "raise the bar" and ensure AI serves people rather than replacing them.
The blog post, which runs to more than 3,100 words, attempts to bridge the gap between technology executives and the younger generation. Smith argues that graduating students are in a "unique position" to have a positive impact on an AI-filled future because they have grown up with technology and are more nimble to change. He wrote that while the job market may feel uncertain, these students were "made for this moment" and should channel their uncertainty into purposeful steps that build a better future.
Smith posted on X, stating that the booing graduates are "reminding us that AI should serve people, not replace them." The article notes that there is a broader societal sentiment of deep unpopularity surrounding AI, despite technology companies integrating it widely. Young people reportedly use AI but feel conflicted or guilty about its use, with the backlash against massive data centres emerging as a significant political issue shaping up to be a defining problem.
Despite Smith's conciliatory tone, the substance of the blog post mirrors the line of reasoning that has elicited the boos in the first place: that AI will reshape culture, labour, and relationships in ways that are not yet fully understood. Critics argue that the message questions the credibility of tech executives to manage the uncertainty they helped create. The idea that the industry needs to "raise the bar" is viewed by some as a continuation of the reasoning that initially provoked the student backlash.
The article notes that Microsoft partners with OpenAI, whose CEO Sam Altman previously warned of catastrophic AI effects before walking back those statements. This history of warnings followed by softened stances after public pushback has led to skepticism regarding who should be trusted to clean up the mess. An alternative interpretation of Microsoft’s missive is that it is directed not at the angry graduates, but at the C-suite executives who are seeing these clips and rolling their eyes.
