Microsoft President Brad Smith says the industry must answer public AI fears after graduates boo AI talk at commencements

毕业典礼频现"谈 AI 色变"，微软总裁史密斯呼吁行业必须回应公众担忧

Class of 2026 graduates booed AI-themed speeches at multiple commencements, and Princeton students rejected a jacket design suspected of using AI. Microsoft President Brad Smith said the industry must answer public concerns seriously, arguing AI should augment people, not replace them. He also downplayed immediate job disruption, saying AI will spread through the economy more slowly than its biggest boosters claim. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood avoided mentioning AI entirely in her Duke commencement speech and received no boos.

Why it matters: Rare public pushback from graduates against AI, with Microsoft's president responding directly. Strong resonance but lacks hard data or concrete proposals, capping the knowledge score and keeping it at the featured threshold.