Somehow, Steve Wozniak has accomplished something this year that no other college commencement speaker has been able to do. It was about talking about AI and getting applause.
The Apple co-founder spoke at Grand Valley State University’s graduation ceremony earlier this month. In his speech, Wozniak offered reassurance to recent graduates looking to enter the workforce in the midst of the AI revolution.
“You have AI, real intelligence,” Wozniak said.
This statement elicited laughter and applause from the audience.
“It would take too much time to dig deep into what I think about AI, but we’ve been trying to build a brain,” Wozniak said. “Is there a way to replicate a routine trillions of times and make it work like a brain? AI is one of those attempts.”
While Wozniak delivered his speech without interruption, the same could not be said for other AI-driven commencement speakers. In the weeks that followed, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and real estate executive Gloria Caulfield were booed for comments about AI at two separate commencement ceremonies.
AI is closing in on new graduates entering the job market. Technology is changing the landscape, from the skills candidates need to the way companies are evaluated. Its ability to automate many tasks has led some companies to make AI-related job cuts.
In his commencement address, Wozniak reflected on his time at Apple and offered some advice to students starting their careers.
“You should always try to think differently,” he said. “Don’t follow the same steps as a million other people. Think about what you can do a little differently.”