BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — D’Youville University announced its spring 2024 commencement speaker will be an Artificial Intelligence (AI) robot named Sophia.
According to the university, this will cap its year-long campaign of generating awareness and education around AI. The social humanoid robot was created by Hanson Robotics, an engineering and robotics company founded in Dallas, Texas in 2007.
“A major role of higher education is to be an incubator for innovation, and to prepare students for both the opportunities and challenges of the future. This event will represent an intersection of technology and education. As our students celebrate an important life milestone, we hope to keep them thinking big as they move onto careers that promote wellness and respond to the healthcare crisis our society is facing.”
The university said Sophia is aiming to showcase student's hard work and accomplishments and offer an opportunity for reflection through an interview-style discussion with John Rizk, D’Youville University Student Government Association President, and candidate in the accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program.
“I use AI every day, multiple times a day. I am much more productive and organized having AI in my pocket to help me with daily tasks. AI to me is what the calculator was to my parents. I’m excited to interview Sophia and help affirm AI is not going away, and that my generation needs to figure out how to appropriately deal with it.”
Its spring 2024 commencement will take place at the LECOM Harborcenter on May 11, and over 2,000 students, faculty, staff, family, and friends are expected to be in attendance.
“Our students will be the future of healthcare delivery. As we move to put our lives in their hands, D’Youville University hopes to ensure all students understand technology and can think critically about the future they build for us. From that respect we are thrilled to welcome Sophia to our commencement, providing a safe environment for people to learn through experience."
7 News spoke with students on Friday who raised questions about the university's decision. A petition has been started, which has over 1,900 signatures as of Friday evening, which says "Replace D'Youville's 2024 A.I. commencement speaker: Petition to Preserve Human Connection."
