AI sparks backlash from new graduates. How deep does the disapproval go?

MoneyWatch Recent commencement speeches show students are souring on AI. How deep does the disapproval go? .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Mary Cunningham Mary Cunningham Reporter, MoneyWatch Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. She previously worked at "60 Minutes," CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program. Read Full Bio Mary Cunningham May 19, 2026 / 1:31 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Public attitudes toward AI seem to be evolving as quickly as the technology permeates society. That dynamic was on full display on Sunday, when University of Arizona students jeered former Google CEO Eric Schmidt during his commencement speech as he discussed the future of AI, according to an online video of his remarks posted by the school. Commencement speakers at the University of Central Florida and Middle Tennessee State University also elicited negative reactions when they mentioned AI in their speeches, according to NBC News.The backlash reflects a broader tension over AI: Companies and executives are promoting it as a productivity breakthrough, while many workers, especially younger Americans trying to start careers, fear it could narrow their path into stable employment.Job fears take holdRecent data from Gallup captures the growing pessimism: 43% of people ages 15 to 34 think it's a good time to find a job, down from 75% in 2022, and 21 percentage points lower than those 55 and older. This may "partly reflect anxiety about automation and artificial intelligence displacing entry-level roles," Gallup said.To make matters more complicated, recent graduates are entering the workforce at a historically challenging time in the labor market, marked by muted hiring. Data from the Labor Department shows the unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds stood at 7.6% in April, above the overall rate of 4.3%. Some recent grads describe sending ...