On June 7, 2007, Microsoft founder Bill Gates was invited as a guest speaker at his alma mater's commencement ceremony, 32 years after dropping out of Harvard University. His speech, which emphasized the role of information technology (IT) in addressing social problems including inequality, was widely acclaimed. "We can use the power of the internet to get information and find ways to break through the world's barriers," he said.
In the United States, when May and June—the college graduation season—arrive, the lists of guest speakers at each university and the content of their speeches become topics of conversation. Since the Massachusetts governor delivered a congratulatory address before nine Harvard graduates in 1642, countless politicians, lawyers, writers, business leaders, and entertainers have delivered messages to young people taking their first steps into society and to society itself. In 1947, U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall used his Harvard commencement address to unveil the "Marshall Plan," a program to rebuild Western Europe devastated by World War II. The late Apple founder Steve Jobs's 2005 Stanford University commencement address, "Stay hungry, Stay foolish," remains celebrated as a legendary speech today.
At this year's graduation ceremonies, an unusual scene unfolded in many places, with invited speakers met by jeers. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced backlash at the University of Arizona after comparing the development of artificial intelligence (AI) to the development of computers. At the University of Central Florida, graduates booed a speech declaring that "the rise of AI is the next industrial revolution." According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), this year's graduates are the first AI generation, having entered college just before the emergence of generative AI ChatGPT, while also being the first victims to have their jobs taken by AI. For graduates suffering from job shortages and anxiety about the future, "AI" has become a taboo word.
The youth employment problem stemming from the AI transformation is a global challenge. Last month, Korea's "resting" population aged 25 to 29 increased by 31,000 from a year earlier. If this is a reality that cannot be avoided through jeers, we must actively seek a breakthrough. Education reform and labor flexibility to cultivate talent suited for the AI era and expand employment can no longer be postponed.
