College’s use of AI to read student names causes chaos at graduation ceremony

Technology
20 May 2026 • 12:33 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

College’s use of AI to read student names causes chaos at graduation ceremony

A graduation ceremony was plunged into chaos after the college decided to use AI to announce students’ names.

Glendale Community College in Arizona opted for artificial intelligence to read out the names of the graduating class but it skipped numerous students as they walked across the stage.

The ceremony on May 15 was stopped at least twice as officials attempted to deal with the issue.

President Tiffany Hernandez was booed when she said some students who had been been affected by the error would not be able to walk the stage again. That decision was later reversed with an official reading out their names.

AI tools have become increasingly popular for graduation ceremonies in recent years as they allow students to specify how their names are pronounced.

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