Graduates at Pace University in New York City were left in a state of disbelief during recent commencement ceremonies. Instead of hearing their names called by faculty members, they were greeted by synthetic voices generated by artificial intelligence.
The atmosphere felt oddly reminiscent of a self-checkout experience at a supermarket.
A viral video shared on Instagram by @therundownnai captures the moment, showing graduates having QR codes scanned, which was compared to the mundane task of scanning produce.
“It’s like a mechanical voice butchered your name after four years and countless tuition dollars, all while claiming ‘we care about you,'” one tweet remarked, also sharing the video, and fooling around with the idea of “personal touch.”
Prior to the ceremony, the university informed students about the AI usage and directed them to a website where they could accurately pronounce their own names. The intention was, I guess, to get it right.
This resulted in a heated discussion, perhaps more intense than your typical summer graduation.
Feedback on Instagram and Threads has been divided. One commenter questioned, “Imagine being expelled for using AI to write a paper?”
Another replied, questioning the legitimacy of scanning phones as part of the process, while wondering why a person couldn’t just read the names aloud.
A few users even expressed disappointment over how the system visually appeared. One wrote, “It looks pretty cheap when everyone’s names are scanned this way. It’s one thing to understand how things work behind the scenes, but witnessing it can be off-putting.” They cleverly referenced the concept of sausage-making.
On the flip side, some people found unexpected joy in the technological twist. “Northeastern University did something similar,” one user noted. “They also used AI to read names, and it worked out just fine.” Another chimed in, “Amazing!”
This isn’t just a Pace issue; many graduates felt the experience was more a nod to dystopian media than a joyful celebration.
It seems Gen Z is increasingly aware of the presence of AI in their lives, reflecting a sentiment that their education may already feel outdated. Reports suggest that nearly half of Gen Z job seekers believe that AI tools, like ChatGPT, are diminishing the value of their degrees.
The consensus appears to be that AI is not just transforming the workplace but also overshadowing significant milestones, such as graduation.
Even with good intentions, the ambiance was undoubtedly affected. One user remarked, “When I graduated, readers didn’t take long at all. This scanning process felt so strange in comparison.”
Who knows? Maybe next year’s graduates will have ChatGPT craft their diplomas too.
