Wozniak to grads: you have AI — actual intelligence

Steve Wozniak drew applause at Grand Valley State University’s commencement by reframing the acronym dominating graduates’ anxieties: the AI they should rely on is “actual intelligence.” The Apple cofounder framed machine AI as an ongoing attempt to replicate a brain by duplicating routines at massive scale, but pitched human judgment as the differentiator for new entrants to the workforce.

The warm reception stood out against a season in which other AI-boosting speakers, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, were booed at their own ceremonies. The contrast reflects how raw the topic has become for graduates entering a market reshaped by AI-driven hiring shifts and layoffs.

Wozniak closed with his familiar refrain to think differently rather than retrace the steps of a million others — advice that lands harder in a moment when automation is compressing the entry-level rungs of the career ladder.