College grads shocked as names are read at commencement — by AI
By Marissa Matozzo
These grads got a robo-sendoff they won’t forget.
Students at New York City’s Pace University were left shell-shocked — and maybe just a bit shellacked — when their recent graduation ceremony featured a synthetic surprise: Their names were read aloud not by a proud professor or a human announcer, but by a voice created by artificial intelligence.
Instead of the usual pomp and circumstance, it was giving … self-checkout.
A viral video posted by @therundownai on Instagram shows Pace grads queuing up to have QR codes on their phones scanned — a moment some compared to “fruit and vegetables at a supermarket checkout” — then hearing their names uttered aloud via disembodied AI over the sound system.
“Because nothing says ‘we value you’ like a synthetic voice butchering your name after four years and thousands of dollars,” wrote user @thedeveloperstory on Threads, who also shared the clip. “What a beautiful personal touch!”
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Greg Osby at Pace University's May 2025 commencement where AI technology announced graduates' names using phonetic spellings submitted by the students
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A viral clip shows Pace grads lining up to scan QR codes on their phones — like produce at a supermarket checkout, but with diplomas instead of discounts.
therundownai/Instagram
The university did give students a heads-up, directing them to a website where they could phonetically spell their names and confirm the pronunciation.
The goal? Accuracy.
The result? A debate hotter than an outdoor, summer cap-and-gown ceremony.
Commenters on both Instagram and Threads were divided. One viewer beneath the IG post deadpanned: “Imagine a school that would expel you for using AI to write a paper, but will use AI to read graduate names for them.”
Another on Threads fumed, “Laziness! Are they really scanning people’s phones? What the actual F? That guy couldn’t read their names?”
A photograph of the 2025 commencement at Pace University where AI technology was used to announce student names, with celebrities Rashawn Ross and Peter Leko in attendance
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Pace University grads got a shock to the system when, instead of a professor proudly calling their names, a robotic voice took the mic — straight outta Silicon Valley.
therundownai/Instagram
One user even lamented the visual awkwardness.
“Yeah, that looks super cheesy, since it’s scanned right there in plain view of everyone,” they wrote. “It’s the whole idea that we know how the sausage gets made, but we don’t necessarily need to actually see the sausage getting made.”
Still, others were surprisingly on board.
“Same at Northeastern University,” noted one commenter. “Students recorded their own name for pronunciation … an AI voice read their name.”
“Brilliant!” another gushed.
Pace isn’t alone in swapping live talent for machine precision, but for many students, the experience felt more “Black Mirror” than commencement celebration.
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Pace isn’t the only school trading humans for high-tech — but for many grads, the ceremony felt more “Black Mirror” than cap-and-gown magic.
Chris Brignell – stock.adobe.com
And it’s not the first time Gen Z grads have felt overshadowed by AI.
As The Post previously reported, nearly half of Gen Z job seekers now believe their degrees are already obsolete, thanks to AI tools like ChatGPT.
According to a Harris Poll for Indeed, 49% of Gen Z respondents said their college education has lost value in the job market — with some now questioning whether it was worth the time and debt.
So, to recap: AI is eating their jobs, undercutting their diplomas — and now it’s stealing their spotlight on graduation day.
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To sum it up: AI’s snatching their jobs, devaluing their degrees — and now it’s hijacking their big moment on graduation day.
Being Imaginative – stock.adobe.com
Even the good intentions couldn’t save the vibe. As one Thread user wrote, “When I graduated, the person reading out the names had done a run through … it didn’t take that long, and was less weird than showing your phone for them to scan.”
Perhaps next year’s grads can just have ChatGPT write their diploma, too.
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