By Cristina Miceli, journalist at The European Business Review
Students at the University of Arizona didn’t welcome Eric Schmidt’s AI speech warmly. The former Google CEO was abruptly interrupted as “boos” echoed across the room.
This was not an isolated case. Real estate development executive Gloria Caulfield and record executive Scott Borchetta were also booed at the first mention of AI during their graduation ceremony speeches.
These events reflect a changing attitude among university students. Concerns about career threats, increased mistrust among peers, and weakened critical thinking are just some of the reasons why young adults are becoming increasingly wary of AI.
University Students Are Openly Criticizing AI
Mr. Schmidt’s remarks about the Time editors’ decision to name the “Architects of AI” the magazine’s 2025 Person of the Year immediately sparked backlash among University of Arizona graduates. The former Google CEO continued his speech, ignoring the students’ reaction, adding that AI will touch “every profession, every classroom, every hospital, every laboratory, and every relationship you have.” Yet, students had no intention of giving up and continued to boo the speech, forcing Mr. Schmidt to acknowledge their disapproval.
Something similar happened to Ms. Caulfield while giving her graduation speech at the University of Central Florida. Students immediately voiced their objections after she compared the rise of AI to the Industrial Revolution. Similarly, Mr. Borchetta was booed during his speech at Middle Tennessee State University. However, unlike the other two speakers, he decided to fire back, telling students to “Deal with it. Like I said, it’s a tool. […] You can hear me now, or you can pay me later.”
Over the past months, students have even organized anti-AI demonstrations, for instance, to protest Columbia University’s decision to use AI to read graduates’ names at its 2026 graduation ceremony. So, why are young adults so critical of this technology?
Students See AI As A Threat To Their Future Careers
According to a Gallup study, 16% of Bachelor’s degree students changed their major because of the impact that AI may have on the job market. However, the number of those who considered changing their field of study is much higher, at 42%.
Most students appear to be concerned about this technology. In the fall of 2025, the Harvard Youth Poll surveyed 2,040 young Americans aged 18 to 29 and found that 59% saw AI as a threat to their future job prospects.
Gen Z’s views on AI have worsened significantly over the past year. While in 2025, approximately 37% of respondents in the Gallup survey believed the risks of AI in the workforce outweighed the potential benefits, this figure rose to 48% in 2026.
According to a Jisk report, one of the main concerns is the impact of AI on entry-level jobs. Many of these job positions are now being slashed as corporations continue to invest in advanced AI tools.
Students’ fears have been confirmed by LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman. According to him, AI chatbots are now performing tasks once assigned to young associates, while advanced coding tools are replacing junior developers. The jobs that for decades have served as the first step for new generations of young workers are slowly disappearing, making it extremely difficult for graduates to launch their careers.
The Use of AI at Universities Is Also Raising Concerns
Many students are also wary of the impact that AI is having on their education. While this technology is now allowed at many universities around the world, studies have shown that it may be more harmful than beneficial.
A 2025 study showed a significant negative correlation between frequent AI usage and critical thinking abilities. Similarly, a Microsoft study that hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet suggests that greater confidence in GenAI is associated with reduced critical thinking.
When AI can easily brainstorm paper topics, create detailed outlines in a few seconds, and rewrite an entire paper to ensure all sentences flow naturally, students are left with little to worry about. And little to think about.
Of course, not every university student uses this technology to this extent. Many young adults are aware of the importance of struggling with these tasks in order to develop better critical thinking skills. However, the choice to avoid AI also comes with its own risks.
Even if a student decides to rely solely on their mental abilities to write a paper, they have no guarantee that their peers will do the same. This means their work may be compared to perfect AI-written essays, with possible repercussions on their grades.
Unsurprisingly, distrust among students is rising as young adults fear their peers may be using AI in ways that violate universities’ policies. These concerns appear to be justified. Stanford student Theo Baker wrote in an opinion piece for The New York Times that about 49% of the 859 junior computer science majors at Stanford University said they would rather cheat than fail an exam.
At present, about 86% of universities and 49% of colleges in the U.S. have guidance in place. However, according to the Jisk report mentioned above, these tend to vary widely by course, with many students expressing uncertainty about what is allowed and what isn’t.
While students are generally allowed to use AI for some tasks, such as brainstorming paper topics, creating outlines, and checking grammar mistakes, some institutions have taken a more restrictive approach. For example, Berkeley School of Law has prohibited students from using this technology for a variety of tasks, including translating texts and summarizing legal rules. Despite this, it remains unclear how university professors will enforce the ban, as AI detectors are still highly unreliable.
In general, students seem hopeless. Even though many openly criticize this technology, fearing repercussions on their intellectual development and future careers, they are also aware that using AI is now the only way to remain competitive in the job market.
What Are Universities and Industries Doing To Address Students’ Concerns?
While some universities are now restricting AI use, the academic world seems to agree that this has become a crucial skill students have to develop. Many educational institutions are now launching new programs to increase AI literacy among students and professors alike.
For instance, on April 3, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with Georgia State University and other institutions, launched a multi-year initiative to help students familiarize themselves with this tool. This project will allow students to work in teams to solve real problems posed by industry collaborators, preparing them for the challenges they will likely face in the workplace.
Similarly, The Pennsylvania State University has launched an AI literacy framework to equip students and professors with core competencies, including technical knowledge, ethical awareness, and critical thinking.
Companies are also playing their part. In 2023, IBM, the largest industrial research organization in the world, decided to provide free AI training to two million learners worldwide over a period of three years. Last year, the same company launched a new IBM SkillsBuild university strategy to support learning in educational institutions.
Even some governments have now understood the importance of this technology. For instance, all adults in the UK are now eligible to take a free AI foundations training to gain practical skills for work.
Despite these new opportunities for students, the recent events at the University of Arizona make it clear that concerns remain. With entry-level jobs quickly disappearing, mistrust among students rising, and concerns about the potential impact on cognitive abilities mounting, this generation of students is facing an unprecedented set of challenges.
