Graduation 2026 - AI Discontent

US Students on Why They Booed Their Pro-AI Graduation Speakers: The Are Not Reading the RoomI'd like to add another possible view of why students at graduations were booing at the mention of AI. There were quiet drivers of student discontent at work.The headlines focus on the immediate, visible political protests at recent spring graduations, but the underlying academic and psychological disconnect is a quiet, powerful driver of student frustration.The concept of being caught in a "saddle generation"—straddling a massive technological shift mid-way through a degree—is, as I see it, one plausible reason for the deep-seated discontent among recent graduates.This technological shockwave has created so much friction between students and universities. Suddenly the Rules of Engagement Changed--The cohort graduating now likely entered college around 2022. At that point, the expectations for academic integrity and the definition of "original work" were clear and understood. By their sophomore or junior year, generative AI appeared into the mainstream. Suddenly, the landscape changed overnight, creating massive confusion. Students found themselves in a high-stakes environment where the rules were shifting line by line, professor by professor.There was massive confusion:1. Some professors banned AI outright, treating it purely as a tool for plagiarism.2. Others ignored it entirely, leaving students to navigate it on their own.3. A few leaned into it, asking students to use it...