A College in Buffalo, New York, is making headlines after the university, as reported by USA Today, invited Sophia, the AI robot, to be its commencement speaker during its spring ceremony.
The artificially intelligent robot was scheduled to speak to approximately 2,000 attendees on Saturday, including families, faculty members, and graduates, according to D'Youville University.
D'Youville posted on Facebook on April 25 stating that the school is "embracing technology" by having the robot, who has been on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," speak at commencement before Sophia spoke to the graduates. Not everyone liked the speaker, though, as some students petitioned to have a person take the robot's place.
According to the Facebook post, John Rizk, president of the D'Youville University Student Government Association and a candidate for the accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, will conduct an interview-style discussion with Sophia as part of her "last lecture" about the student's accomplishments throughout the year.
The institution reportedly argues that it did not merely cheap out on attempting to acquire someone famous but rather had extremely serious and high goals when it hired a robot speaker.
Sophia's AI-Powered Speech
Cold sparkler machines burst, sending tiny fireworks upwards as Sophia approached the platform. The robot then answered a series of questions from Rizk, including one about how she "came to be."
Since life advice is derived from actual human experience, and Sophia cannot provide it, Rizk asked the robot to speak on behalf of the broad thoughts shared in commencement addresses.
While each commencement speech is unique, Sophia pointed out that all speakers share certain recurring themes as students begin this new chapter in their lives. These themes include encouraging lifelong learning, being flexible, pursuing passions, taking calculated risks, creating lasting relationships, having a positive impact, and having self-confidence.
D'Youville's president, Lorrie Clemo, told sources that the company aimed to highlight the significance of technology and its capacity to significantly improve humankind's quality of life.
Not many pupils shared that sentiment. More than 2,500 people signed a petition demanding that a human took the stage when the university stated Sophia would be the speaker, claiming the move "disrespected" the students.
According to the petition, the robot speaker's impersonal character makes people uncomfortable because it reminds them of the virtual high school graduations they had to undergo during the COVID-19 pandemic.
D'Youville University selected Sophia because, according to reports, Benjamin "BG" Grant, vice president for student affairs, selects a developmental subject related to a current social issue each year, enabling the institution to provide year-round educational and charitable programs.
AI in the Academe
Even though this is among the more dubious applications of AI in education, other institutions nevertheless use it. Recently, Grammarly and the University of Texas at Austin teamed up to start a research initiative looking into the use of generative AI in higher education.
This research, which is a component of UT's Year of AI initiative and is managed by the Office of Academic Technology, will have two phases. In a trial phase, the generative AI assistant from Grammarly will be used by staff members, teachers, and students.
Faculty and staff members will develop generative AI projects relevant to their areas of expertise, which they will test on students and other faculty members.
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(Photo: Tech Times)
