Commencement speaker awkwardly booed on stage after controversial AI comments

A commencement speaker faced a chorus of boos after making remarks about artificial intelligence (AI) during a ceremony at the University of Central Florida.

Gloria Caulfield, who is a real estate development executive, spoke to UCF graduates on Friday evening (May 8) and began talking about some of the biggest innovators across the globe, including the likes of Jeff Bezos as well as some former presidents.

Caulfield specifically spoke about Bezos having always had a dream of going to space, and how, in 2000, he went on to become the founder of Blue Origin.

“The second that I observed is embracing innovation without fear of being disruptive. Great leaders know that breakthrough innovation happens at the intersection of different disciplines, cultures and fields," she said.

“We are living in a time of profound change. That's an understatement, right? Change is exciting. And let's face it: change can be daunting. The rise of artificial intelligence is the next Industrial Revolution.”

Caulfield spoke about the rise of AI (Getty Stock Photo)

It was the comment about the rise of AI that seemed to disgruntle the audience, with Caulfield adding: “Okay. I struck a chord. May I finish.”

“Only a few years ago, AI was not a factor in our lives,” she added.

“And now AI capabilities are in the palm of our hands."

Caulfield spoke about previous launches, such as the internet and phones, adding: “These were some of the same trepidations and concerns we are now facing. But ultimately, it was a game changer for global economic development and the proliferation of new businesses that never existed like Apple, Google and Meta and so many others.

“So being an optimist here. AI alongside human intelligence has the potential to help us solve some of humanity's greatest problems. Many of you in this graduating class will play a role in making this happen.”

UNILAD has reached out to Caulfield for comment.

It's no secret that AI is developing at an alarming rate, and one innovator who has predicted which jobs will be most at risk is Bill Gates.

Gates shared his thoughts on what jobs he thinks will survive the advancement of AI for now, with the tech mogul picking out coders, energy experts, and biologists.

Conversely, data and administration jobs, customer service, and those in assembly line could be first to face the brunt of the controversial, world-shaping technology.

In a report last year, Microsoft also outlined the 40 jobs that are 'most at risk' from highest to lowest overlap, which include:

• Interpreters and translators (98 per cent overlap)
• Historians (91 per cent overlap)
• Mathematicians (91 per cent overlap)
• Proofreaders (91 per cent overlap)
• Automatic machine coders (90 per cent overlap)
• Writers and authors (85 per cent overlap)
• Statistical assistants (85 per cent overlap)
• Sales representatives (84 per cent overlap)
• Technical writers (83 per cent overlap)
• Journalists (81 per cent overlap)