AI-FRONTIERMay 28, 20261 min read8 views

The AI Hype Index: AI gets booed in graduation season

Graduates are increasingly pushing back against the AI hype, even booing tech leaders at commencement ceremonies, while the industry itself continues to expand rapidly despite the skepticism.

It is one thing to say AI will change the world. It is another to expect the class of 2026 to applaud it. In fact, when former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told University of Arizona graduates that their task is to help shape AI, he was met with a resounding chorus of boos. “I can hear you,” he said, before conceding that fears about disappearing jobs and a broken future were “rational.”

This is not exactly the message one hopes to hear while sweating under a polyester gown and tallying student loan payments. Graduates have been jeering at AI pep talks at other commencements too, including ceremonies at the University of Central Florida and Middle Tennessee State University. Still, increasingly loud skepticism hasn’t stopped OpenAI from winning court cases, raising enormous sums of money, and launching new partnerships. And AI is even earning some unlikely cheerleaders: Reese Witherspoon has warned women to embrace it or be replaced by it.

Deep Dive

Artificial intelligence

Want to understand the current state of AI? Check out these charts.

According to Stanford’s 2026 AI Index, AI is sprinting, and we’re struggling to keep up.

10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now

MIT Technology Review's authoritative overview of the 10 technologies, emerging trends, bold ideas, and powerful movements in AI in 2026.

Musk v. Altman week 1: Elon Musk says he was duped, warns AI could kill us all, and admits that xAI distills OpenAI’s models

Musk kept his cool, and OpenAI’s lawyer bulldozed him with piercing questions about his motivations for suing the company.

Stay connected

Get the latest updates from

MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Source: MIT Technology Review AI

More in this category

ai-frontier

TikTok is testing an AI likeness detection tool

TikTok is testing an opt-in tool that scans for unauthorized AI-generated likenesses of creators, allowing them to report deepfakes and protect their digital identity.

ai-frontier

Apple’s plot to crush OpenAI

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, sparking intense debate over whether the tech giant is trying to eliminate a rising competitor or simply capitalizing on OpenAI's current vulnerabilities.

ai-frontier

A scorecard for the AI age

How should businesses measure the ROI of AI? Instead of tracking active users or cost per token, leaders should focus on 'Useful Intelligence per Dollar'—measuring the actual work accomplished against its total cost.

ai-frontier

A Humanoid Company Backed by Eric Trump Is Preparing Its Robots for War

Some companies want their humanoid robots to fold your clothes. Others want them in the workplace. Sankaet Pathak and his startup Foundation Future Industries have a slightly different goal: produce an all-American robot supersoldier.

ai-frontier

The risk of weather data sabotage is rising

The temptation to manipulate weather data for financial gain, combined with the rise of AI-driven forecasting models, is putting the accuracy of global weather predictions at risk.

ai-frontier

Why Apple Sued OpenAI, New York Takes on Data Centers, and What to Know about Cyclosporiasis

This week on Uncanny Valley, the team discusses the details behind Apple suing OpenAI over alleged stolen hardware secrets, OpenAI employees funding an AI guardrail super PAC, and New York's landmark data center moratorium.