My youngest granddaughter is a senior at a university in San Diego and will graduate later this year. So I am quite interested in what has happened at graduation ceremonies across the U.S. this spring in which a surprising pattern emerged: when speakers mentioned artificial intelligence, they were met not with applause, but with loud, sustained boos. Executives, professors and technologists addressing the Class of 2026 found themselves confronting a generation deeply uneasy about the very technology shaping their future.
The reaction is not difficult to understand, but it is far more revealing than it first appears.
These individuals have invested four years of their lives studying, spent a fortune on tuition, endured a pandemic-induced job market and finally graduated to enter the real world, where they have to look for a job. The last thing they need to hear at their graduation ceremony is a prominent CEO telling them that AI will revolutionize their careers. According to a 2025 poll by Harvard’s Institute of Politics, about 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects. But here is what I have learned over my decades of following emerging technologies: the initial reaction we may have towards any disruptive technology means very little in the end.
We moaned about the Internet when it first started, ridiculed the first smartphones and considered social media a passing fad. Yet all these technologies not only survived but thrived in a relatively short period after launch. The only commonality between them was that those who were quick to embrace the changes and learn to leverage their new capabilities came out on top – sometimes with dramatic results.
AI is no different in this respect. Only this time, the stakes are higher.
The Boos Are Legitimate. The Strategy Is Not.
Let me be clear: booing a speaker who mentions something that could influence lives isn’t a strategy. It’s an emotional response, and expressing emotion is valid.
But when the ceremony ends, the cap is tossed and the real world sets in, emotions give way to economic realities. The latter has already taken hold of almost every industry in the U.S., and these graduates are now entering the real world, where AI plays a significant role.
Many law firms use AI to review contracts in minutes that used to take junior associates a few days. In hospitals, AI-based diagnostics help detect issues that can easily go unnoticed without proper equipment. In newsrooms, including those the journalism graduates hope to join one day, AI is used to process vast amounts of information to analyze, leaving journalists more time to write articles.
This isn’t futuristic speculation. This is happening now in this job market, at companies already receiving resumes from these graduates.
The graduates who understand this and know how to use this technology to their advantage are the ones who will succeed in this market.
AI Isn’t Taking Jobs From You. But Someone Using It Might.
As a veteran of Silicon Valley, I have seen the PC revolution, the Internet revolution and the Mobile revolution unfold firsthand. And all of these technologies brought similar fears – that machines would replace workers and render some occupations obsolete. While that fear is understandable, it is only partially true.
All these technological revolutions eliminated certain jobs, changed the nature of others and created completely new industries we couldn’t have imagined at the time. The Internet, for example, not only killed traditional retail but also launched the new era of online shopping and logistics. Smartphones put an end to film photography and gave birth to completely new visual industries.
AI will follow a similar path, but will advance much faster this time. New job descriptions unimaginable three years ago have already emerged: AI prompt engineers, AI ethics officers, machine learning specialists and AI content auditors, among others. These titles are no longer restricted to technology companies. They are found across legal, healthcare, media, advertising and finance organizations.
Graduates of 2026 have to decide whether they want to become victims of the trend or become part of it themselves.
A Tool Is Only as Good As the Hand That Wields It
Here is a key point that was entirely overlooked at those boo-accentuated ceremonies and it is essential. AI technology is an outstanding tool, but it only remains a tool. No matter how advanced it becomes, it cannot replace judgment, critical analysis, or human decision-making.
What AI does exceptionally well is process large amounts of information incredibly fast and draw conclusions on that basis. What humans can do in this regard is bring unique insight based on our experiences, background and understanding of society and culture.
So graduates who will define this upcoming decade are not the ones who will either let AI replace them or ignore this technology altogether. They are the ones who will find out how to work with AI to complement and support their activities.
This ability to work with technology effectively can be developed and there is virtually zero barrier to entry.
An Opportunity Nobody Is Discussing
Amid all the fear and drama associated with graduations, another point deserves to be highlighted: for the first time in history, an individual with just a laptop and access to AI tools can generate as much productivity and create as many products as an entire team of professionals.
Thanks to AI, a young startup founder can launch a project with capabilities that were unimaginable five years ago, without the company spending millions on hiring talent. For the same reason, an underprivileged first-generation college graduate will be able to compete for a job position against candidates who studied at Ivy League colleges for years and paid through the roof to receive their degrees.
In short, AI technology can serve as an equalizer if someone decides to use it that way.
This was probably the message lost in all those boos.
My Message to the Class of 2026
Based on my experience with advising people entering the workforce, here is what I would say to the Class of 2026:
If there is one takeaway for this graduating class, it is this: do not confuse frustration with strategy.
AI may be imperfect, overhyped and seem disconnected from your reality, but its impact on the workforce is unmistakable. Recognizing this change is key to navigating your career.
The advantage will not go to those who resist it, nor to those who blindly rely on it. It will go to those who understand it.
Act now: learn these tools, experiment and build something meaningful. The barrier to entry has never been lower, and the upside has never been higher.
At the same time, double down on what remains uniquely human: judgment, creativity, empathy and critical thinking. AI can generate answers, but it cannot take responsibility for them. That will remain your role.
And perhaps most importantly, ask questions. Demand full transparency. Challenge how these systems are built and used. The future of AI should not be decided solely by those who create it, but also by those who live and work alongside it.
The AI revolution is not coming—it is already here. For the Class of 2026, adapting to this technology is not optional; it will define your entire career.
Choose to shape the AI revolution now. Rejecting or reacting sabotages your opportunity. Commit to learning and leading.
The opportunity is real, but it is not automatic. The advantage will go to those who choose to engage, build and lead.
