The AI Backlash Isn't Really About AI

· Paige Karchmar · Trends / Culture

Over the past month, several graduation speakers have gotten the same reaction from students: booing. Not because they were politicians, not because they said something controversial, but because they talked about AI.

Hand-lettered editorial illustration with the phrase "it's not really about AI" in large orange serif type on a lavender blob, surrounded by handwritten notes like "boooo," "what about jobs?" "will my skills matter?" "uncertain," and "why now?" with small doodles of a graduation cap and a question mark.

Over the past month, several graduation speakers have gotten the same reaction from students: booing.

Not because they were politicians. Not because they said something controversial.

Because they talked about AI.

A few years ago that would have seemed impossible. AI was supposed to be exciting. The people building it were supposed to be the future.

So what changed?

Students Aren't Suddenly Anti-Technology

I don't think students suddenly became anti-technology.

If anything, most people my age use AI more than older generations do. We use it for studying, brainstorming, organizing ideas, and sometimes just figuring out where to start.

But using something and trusting it aren't the same thing.

AI Arrived at a Weird Moment

For a lot of students, AI arrived at a weird moment. College is already full of questions about what happens after graduation. Then suddenly every conversation about the future seems to include AI too.

Will jobs change?

Will companies hire differently?

Will the skills we're learning still matter?

Even people who are excited about AI are asking those questions.

Why the Backlash Is Being Misunderstood

That's why I think the backlash is being misunderstood.

People aren't rejecting the technology itself. They're reacting to the uncertainty around it. And honestly, that reaction makes sense.

What This Means for Brands Marketing to Gen Z

There's a lesson in this for brands too. A lot of marketing aimed at my generation leads with AI like the tech itself is the reason to care. But AI isn't novel to us. It's already part of how we work, so leaning on it as a headline feature kind of misses.

The more interesting question isn't whether AI is good or bad.

It's why so many people suddenly feel uncomfortable with a future that everyone was telling them to be excited about. Maybe that's the real trend.