UNG students petition against AI name announcements at graduation
Students petition against the use of AI in graduation ceremony
Graduation is right around the corner for students at the University of North Georgia but many of them are not happy about how commencement will play out. They say the school will use artificial intelligence to read their names as they receive their diplomas.
DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Commencement season is right around the corner, but some students in North Georgia are not happy.
They say one of the biggest parts of this semester's planned ceremony should go to a human.
AI to be used in UNG commencement ceremony
What we know:
Some students at the University of North Georgia launched a petition to push the school to use actual humans.
What they're saying:
Emily Schwarzmann is excited about graduating from the University of North Georgia. "I’m looking forward to it a good bit," Schwarzmann said.
But she found out something would be different at this year’s commencement. "They would be announcing our names using artificial intelligence instead of a professor," Schwarzmann said.
The university will use recorded voices to read the names of graduates as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. "It is almost demeaning to the hard work that we put in," Schwarzmann said.
Students like Schwarzmann believe that is disrespectful. "It feels like it’s kind of being put down a little bit, as if it’s not as important," Schwarzmann said.
Students launched an online petition, demanding "human-to-human connection" when they walk the stage.
Cooper Turner, who is also set to graduate, isn’t so sure about the use of AI. "I don’t think that AI will read all the names correctly," Turner said. "Graduation is such a big thing for people and if they don’t get their names read correctly, I feel like that’s such a bad experience for them."
University of North Georgia responses
The other side:
The university would not speak with FOX 5 on camera, but a spokesperson sent a statement:
"First and foremost, commencement is one of the most important and personal milestones in a student’s life. We are committed to making every aspect of the experience as special, memorable, and meaningful as it should be — for our graduates and their families.
"Every name announced at Commencement is recorded using Tassel’s industry-leading name announcement technology, which features real human voiceover artists skilled in announcing names from around the world. The technology generates a personalized audio clip using these human voices —ensuring that each graduate’s name is pronounced accurately and confidently. If the system cannot match a pronunciation, the same voiceover artist will manually record the name based on guidance from the graduate."
What's next:
Graduation is set for May 14.
The Source: University of North Georgia and students.