AI robot delivers keynote speech at D’Youville University

The decision to entrust a humanoid robot to the class of 2024 sparked criticism for several weeks from professors and students. A petition on Change.org chastising D’Youville for failing to “preserve a human connection” had garnered 2,480 signatures as of Saturday morning.

But in the end, the ceremony for the 438 graduating students was a loud, joyous and largely traditional event that filled the KeyBank Rink at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo with smiling faces, cheers and pyrotechnics worthy of any milestone celebration .

Aside from Sophia, whose 7½-minute speech took the form of a question-and-answer session with D’Youville Student Government President John Rizk, the most unusual part of the ceremony was the tight security imposed on the members of the media who came to cover it.

Apparently worried about some sort of disturbance, D’Youville hired an outside public relations firm and a security guard to deal with the journalists, who were seated in a separate dressing room and were ordered not to attempt to interview students or parents and not film the event. ceremony, including the appearance of Sophia.

After some negotiations, The Buffalo News was allowed to photograph portions of the ceremony, but photographers from Channels 2 and 4 were prohibited from filming anything.

“We have a lot of rules,” said Kate Glaser of Hope Rises News, the public relations firm hired for the job. “This year it’s very closed because of everything that’s going on.”

All that was happening included tense labor negotiations between D’Youville and his faculty union members, who staged several protests in recent months.

A handful of D’Youville teachers gathered outside the arena Saturday to remind passersby and attendees that they are in their third year of working without a contract.

They held signs reading “A Fair Contract Now” and “DYU Faculty Celebrate Our Students – and We Deserve a Fair Contract Now!” » Some students also wore buttons reading “I Support D’Youville Faculty” pinned to their black graduation robes.

But fears that something negative might happen at the ceremony were unfounded, and when it came time for Sophia’s appearance, there were no boos or signs of anything other than respect and anticipation.

D’Youville President Lorrie Clemo introduced Sophia and Rizk by noting that the university has addressed AI all year in its events and classes to inspire students to think about how technology will change their future.

“While I am by no means a futurist, I know that there is no path forward by which we leave technology behind,” Clemo said. “For better or worse, it is clear that technology has become omnipresent in our personal and professional activities. So, as you move forward in your lives, graduates, I urge you to continue to adapt, be bold, and continue the journey demonstrated here at D’Youville.

As Rizk and Sophia appeared on stage, the lightweight and tiny robot wore a DYU hoodie with the hood pulled down to show off its high-tech “brain” protruding from the back half of its bald head.

Among other questions, Rizk asked Sophia to summarize the most common advice given to new grads. Sophia said it was “accepting failure.”

“Failure is often seen as an essential part of the process of human learning and personal growth,” she said.

Asked about human fears of AI, she said AI would help reduce human errors in healthcare and improve patient outcomes, as well as “augment human expertise, improve patient safety and ultimately save lives.”

Sophia drew cheers with her answers to Rizk’s final two questions, about where to find the best wings in Buffalo and whether the Bills will win the Super Bowl in 2025.

“No matter where you decide to buy chicken wings, make sure you buy blue cheese and not ranch cheese,” she said. “While I can’t say with certainty that the Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl in 2025, I can tell you that they have a dedicated fan base and a talented team led by Josh Allen, so anything is possible for them. Come on the bills.

The ceremony also included a more inspiring speech from graduate Khushi Agarwal, who said she came from India to attend a small school in North Carolina, but felt out of place there. After transferring to D’Youville, “I felt at home,” she said.

The event culminated with 438 students, mostly health professions students, taking the stage, including 100 nurses. Everyone greeted Clemo with a smile, shook her hand, received their diploma and posed for a photo with her.

Then come pyrotechnic displays, cheers and high-decibel music worthy of any Sabers game. As security led media to a photo opportunity with Sophia, students filed out single file to reunite with their families.

Two of the graduates, future occupational therapists Abby Domster and Kateri Maurer, said the hubbub around Sophia cast a shadow of worry ahead of their graduation.

“We’re very excited, but we felt like all the controversy leading up to this took away from us graduating,” Domster said. “Like everyone is coming to see the speaker, not to celebrate us. »

Alexa Wisser, who has a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports studies, said she had no qualms about choosing her school’s speaker.

“It was cool to see, even if it was a little weird,” she said of Sophia. “But it was my celebration and our celebration, and I wasn’t going to let an AI speaker interfere with that.”