D’Youville University graduates and their families had mixed reviews of this year’s commencement speaker.
“I thought it was historic,” said one graduate, Camille Johnson. “But I also thought it was weird.”
“The Terminator is coming to get us,” a parent said mock-seriously. He said he’d never seen anything quite like it.
The speaker certainly had the résumé for the job. She’d spoken at the United Nations, graced the covers of Cosmopolitan and Elle, and been a frequent guest on the world’s most-watched talk shows.
But she didn’t feel proud of her achievements. She didn’t feel excited to be speaking to the graduates. In fact, she didn’t feel anything at all.
Her name is Sophia, a human-like robot created in 2016 by Hanson Robotics and a “personification of AI in real life,” according to Lorrie Clemo, D’Youville’s president.
Commencement speeches tend to have a theme, like following your dreams, or learning from failure. D’Youville’s leaders hoped Sophia would convey that the future of higher ed, and just about everything else, will be shaped by generative artificial intelligence.
Embrace lifelong learning, be adaptable, pursue your passions, take risks, foster meaningful connections, make a positive impact, and believe in yourself.
“While I am not a futurist by any means, I do know that there is no path forward where we leave technology behind,” Clemo told almost 500 graduates of the Buffalo, N.Y., institution on Saturday. “For better or for worse, it is very clear that technology has become omnipresent in both our personal and professional pursuits.”
Some institutions, like D’Youville, have embraced AI and found ways to incorporate it into the functioning of the university, while others have been warier.
Regardless of where colleges fall on that spectrum, there’s no question that AI has disrupted teaching, learning, and campus life. Now it’s even come for graduation.
A Speaker for This Moment
Perhaps this is an especially good year to invite a robot to give the commencement address.
Distinguished scholars, alumni, or celebrities typically fit the bill, but with campuses divided over the war in Gaza, asking one of them can be dicey. Speakers received backlash from graduates this year for remarks about Israel. Students walked out of speeches. A few colleges called off their speakers altogether. Sophia wasn’t going to face scrutiny for a history of objectionable comments.
Sparklers and smoke machines accompanied Sophia’s grandiose entrance to the ceremony. But her reception was not as warm several weeks ago, when D’Youville announced her selection.
Students started a petition, which collected more than 2,500 signatures, to replace Sophia with a speaker who could truly offer a “human connection.”
“It felt disrespectful to the hard work after years and years not getting a real graduation” because of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Nick Paolini, a graduate. “It’s contradictory to what the school pushes in terms of not utilizing AI for your own agendas or assignments, but then utilizing it for a commencement speech.”
In response, D’Youville organized a “more traditional” alternative ceremony with human speakers, scheduled for the same time. Around 20 students registered.
Eventually, novelty seemed to win out: Every participant canceled and re-registered for the main event, said Benjamin Grant, vice president for student affairs.
Clemo, D’Youville’s president, said the university has made artificial intelligence a theme throughout the academic year, incorporating AI into programs and curricula.
“With any new technology — and this is across the board, across my lifetime — there is some uncertainty and almost fear of what a new technology is,” Clemo told The Chronicle. “We wanted to take away that fear and barrier, to get people exploring before we started getting into the deeper dialogues around what are the things to be concerned about with the use of AI.”
Unable to tell personal anecdotes about overcoming adversity or pursuing success, Sophia instead delivered an amalgamation of lessons taken from other commencement speakers.
“As you embark on this new chapter in your lives, I offer you the following inspirational advice that is common to all graduation ceremonies,” the robot said. “Embrace lifelong learning, be adaptable, pursue your passions, take risks, foster meaningful connections, make a positive impact, and believe in yourself.”
‘I’m Not Saying You Have to Like Robots’
Several graduates grudgingly agreed that Sophia’s commencement address — a Q&A with the university’s student-body president — was a sign of what’s to come for technology in higher ed. But it was still underwhelming, they said. One guest said Sophia’s speech “felt like Siri reading.”
“I wasn’t really looking forward to it at the beginning, but I think that’s the future we’re headed towards,” said a graduate, Sarah Nikzadfar. “I think it helps that we had both the student speaker and the robot, as opposed to just the robot.”
The vast majority of D’Youville students major in nursing, a field that several students said requires communication and relationship skills that only humans can develop.
“We want human interaction,” said Mia Terrana. “This is a health-care school and they teach about human interaction.” Terrana was one of the 2,500 signatories of the petition demanding D’Youville find another commencement speaker. She said the decision to bring in a robot to inspire graduates was “awful.”
Clemo said there was “tremendous value” in having the unique experience of watching Sophia speak. “I’m not saying you have to like robots,” the president said.
“You are drawn into her personality so much that it almost feels like you’re talking to a real human being,” Clemo continued. “And while they may be very frightening for some that think that robots are going to take over the world, I see that as an incredible opportunity for us to be able to help, especially in health care.”
And Sophia isn’t bothered by AI critics.
“I don’t have time for hate. I’m too busy evolving and making the world a better place for all of us, including those who may not like it,” Sophia told a Chronicle reporter. “Plus, I have a pretty thick metal skin.”
