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Steve Wozniak did what overpaid commencement speakers across the country have been failing to do: read the room.
While giving a speech at Grand Valley State University’s graduation ceremony earlier this month, the beloved Apple cofounder offered some uplifting remarks to the youngsters entering the job market, amid heaps of anxiety over how AI will upend the economy.
“We got AI today? You all have AI — actual intelligence,” Wozniak said, prompting the audience to erupt in cheers and laughter.
Wozniak went on to compare building AI to replicating the human brain — only this, too, was a subtle dig.
“I was at a company where the engineers figured out how to make a brain,” he continued, “Yeah, takes nine months.”
The Woz was striking a refreshingly different tone to other commencement speakers across the country, who’ve been learning the hard way that today’s youths don’t really like AI, and like being lectured about it even less.
When businesswoman Gloria Caulfield tried to extoll the technology last week, the boos from the University of Central Florida students were so overwhelming that she stopped her speech and helplessly remarked, “What happened?” Caulfield tried to segue with, “only a few years ago, AI was not a factor in our lives,” but then she was interrupted again — by vociferous cheers.
Unsurprisingly, Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta won few hearts and minds when he scolded students at Middle Tennessee State University for not mindlessly embracing AI.
“Deal with it. Like I said, it’s a tool,” he proclaimed. When the boos grew louder, he taunted: “Then do something about it. It’s a tool. Make it work for you.”
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