Microsoft sees the AI skepticism at graduations — wants dialogue, not dismissal
Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chair, published a 3,100-word response to viral clips of college graduates booing AI-enthusiast commencement speakers, including ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Rather than defend the hype, Smith acknowledged the students' fears — job displacement, concentration of power, environmental cost — as legitimate and worth taking seriously.
The move signals Microsoft's shift toward engagement over dismissal as AI backlash spreads beyond tech circles into mainstream institutions.