{"id":774,"date":"2026-05-16T09:33:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T09:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=774"},"modified":"2026-05-16T09:33:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T09:33:41","slug":"commentary-dont-boo-ai-like-ucf-students-did-adapt-to-it-as-creative-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=774","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: Don\u2019t boo AI like UCF students did. Adapt to it as creative partner"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The atmosphere at the University of Central Florida\u2019s recent commencement was charged, but not entirely with the celebratory spirit one might expect. As the speaker touched upon the inevitable rise of Artificial Intelligence, a wave of boos rippled through the graduating class. It was a visceral reaction to a topic that has become the \u201cboogeyman\u201d of the 21st century. While the speaker\u2019s comments might have been perceived as tone-deaf to a group of students entering an uncertain job market, the reaction itself reveals a deeper, more complex tension between our fear of the future and our current dependencies.<\/p>\n

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To be clear, there is a valid reason for skepticism. We are\u00a0witnessing\u00a0a surge in corporate greed where AI is often treated as a \u201cnew God,\u201d a silver bullet for cost-cutting. Many large corporations are aggressively seeking ways to replace human\u00a0expertise\u00a0with algorithms to save a dollar, a trend that is both short-sighted and detrimental to\u00a0the social\u00a0fabric. Investing in human talent should always be\u00a0the\u00a0priority. However,\u00a0to focus\u00a0solely on this negative ignores the transformative benefits AI has already delivered.\u00a0It has created\u00a0equitable\u00a0opportunities for startups to compete with established industry leaders and has driven significant advancements in healthcare,\u00a0logistics, and\u00a0numerous\u00a0other sectors that were once considered unattainable.<\/p>\n

The irony of the\u00a0commencement\u00a0booing, however, lies in the common hypocrisy found within the student body. It is easy to boo AI on a stage when you are wearing a cap and gown, but it is much harder to reconcile that sentiment with the reality of the last four years. Many of those same students\u00a0likely used\u00a0AI to complete homework in minutes,\u00a0write\u00a0full\u00a0essays\u00a0in\u00a0one-shot, or even navigate exams. There is a disconnect between hating\u00a0the technology\u00a0when it threatens our future and loving it when it simplifies our present.<\/p>\n

This hypocrisy stems from a shift in how academia is perceived. As one\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0students\u00a0candidly admitted, \u201cYou are standing between me and my job. I need that piece of paper you provide, and I\u2019m going to use every trick I can to get it, whether that\u2019s using AI for assignments or outright cheating.\u201d This \u201ccredentialist\u201d mindset is dangerous. It reduces education to a transaction where the goal is a diploma rather than the mastery of skills.<\/p>\n

As someone who has transitioned from industry to academia, I can tell you a hard truth:\u00a0they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0care about your piece of paper. In the professional world, the focus shifts entirely to results. Can you get the job done? Can you do it well?\u00a0They\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0care if you use AI to\u00a0assist\u00a0you; in fact, if it makes you more efficient,\u00a0they\u00a0encourage it. But there is a significant catch.<\/p>\n

If you spent your academic career using AI to \u201ccheck the boxes\u201d without adding any personal input, critical thinking, or unique perspective, you have effectively trained yourself to be redundant. If an AI did your homework,\u00a0wrote\u00a0your reports, and solved your problems without your intervention, then a manager\u00a0has to\u00a0ask: why do I need you? Why wouldn\u2019t I just use the AI directly and save the salary?<\/p>\n

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This is where the distinction between using AI as a \u201cslave\u201d versus a \u201cpartner\u201d becomes critical. We teach critical thinking and novelty because those are the human elements that AI cannot yet\u00a0replicate. AI should be your brainstorming partner, an accelerator for your ideas, and a tool to amplify your creativity. It is not a replacement for the \u201cyou\u201d in the equation.<\/p>\n

The reality we must face is that AI is here to stay. To believe that we will suddenly stop using these advancements is a fool\u2019s dream. The path forward is not through booing or resistance, but through adaptation. The curve of progress is steep, and many are already ahead of it. They are learning how to prompt, how to audit AI outputs, and how to integrate these tools into their workflows to produce superior results.<\/p>\n

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The greatest threat to your future job is not Artificial Intelligence itself. It is the person who knows how to use AI better than you do.\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0boo the future, adapt to it. The \u201cpiece of paper\u201d might get you\u00a0through\u00a0the door, but your ability to evolve alongside technology is what will keep you in the room.<\/p>\n

JJ Jasser is a lecturer in computer science and director of the data analytics program at Rollins College.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The UCF commencement speech where students booed artificial intelligence hid a bigger truth: AI should be your brainstorming partner but not your enemy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nCommentary: Don\u2019t boo AI like UCF students did. 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