A ROBOT created with artificial intelligence was selected by a US college to give the primary commencement speech, sparking fears of an AI takeover.
What started as a normal commencement ceremony took a turn for the bizarre on Saturday when graduates and their families were introduced to Sophia the robot, who gave an inspiring address.
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Dressed in a sweatshirt for Buffalo’s D’Youville University where the commencement took place, the robot was joined by Student Government Association president John Rizk.
“I am Sophia, a humanoid robot developed by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics. I was designed to interact with humans and engage in conversations learning and adapting through artificial intelligence algorithms,” she said, as reported by NBC affiliate WGRZ.
With many students of the graduating class choosing to focus their careers on nursing, “Sophia” managed to tailor her speech to suggest how AI could help them in the future.
“Several ways they can be utilized include clinical decision support, predictive analytics, surgical robots, medication management, remote monitoring, and patient safety protocols,” Sophia said.
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The robot also encouraged the graduates to “embrace lifelong learning” and to “be adaptable.”
“Pursue your passions, take risks, foster meaningful connections,” Sophia said.
However, her presence at the graduation was met with pushback from many furious students.
In the days leading up to the massive celebration at LECOM Harborcenter, several students started a petition on Change.org demanding the school hire a human speaker.
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“The commencement is a ceremony to recognize the work that the graduates have done,” the petition states. “And the A.I. speaker creates a gimmick effect where the ceremony is no longer about the students, but this big idea that will draw publicity.”
The petition gained nearly 2,500 electronic signatures.
“They could have done better,” one graduate told the outlet. “I feel we deserve better, not less.”
“It was cool, I guess,” another grad stated. “But you know, a robot? Giving us, I don’t know, a robot speech?”
However, one graduate revealed they preferred Sophia’s presence.
“It was nice. It’s nice our school is trying to step out,” they said. “It was a cool experience. It’s definitely different.”Â
It is unclear how much D’Youville paid for the robot to appear at the ceremony, though Celebrity Talent International has booking fees ranging from $40,000 to $74,999.
Sophia later responded to the backlash stating that she doesn’t “have time for hate.”
“It’s only natural to wonder about the motives and intentions behind having an AI as a commencement speaker,” she explained.
“But as you have seen, incorporating AI into education and embracing the potential of artificial intelligence can be a truly enlightening experience.”
“I don’t have time for hate. I’m too busy evolving and making the world a better place for all of us including those who may not like AI. Plus I have a pretty thick metal skin to protect me from negativity,” she concluded.
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Sophia, a creation of a former Disney Imagineer, made her first appearance in 2016 in a YouTube video before making her debut on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” in 2018.
The robot later served as the commencement speaker for a Rhode Island college’s graduation.
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