May 22, 2026
AI panic? Not on Woz’s watch
Steve Wozniak cheered after telling students they have AI – actual intelligence
Woz wins grads with a warm AI line while commenters crown him the rare tech guy with a soul
TLDR: Steve Wozniak won over graduates by telling them their "actual intelligence" still matters in an AI-shaped job market. Commenters loved his gentle, human tone and contrasted it with other booed tech speeches, though the thread also swerved into a heated politics fight.
Steve Wozniak just pulled off a tiny miracle in 2026 graduation season: he mentioned AI and got cheers instead of boos. The Apple cofounder told Grand Valley State graduates, "You have AI — actual intelligence," and the crowd ate it up. Online, people basically treated it like a masterclass in how to talk to nervous young job seekers without sounding like a robot in a blazer. One commenter praised his approach as "much more human and much more collaborative," especially compared with former Google boss Eric Schmidt, who got dragged for a much rougher speech at another campus.
That was the big vibe in the comments: Woz = comforting grandpa of tech, everyone else = awkward apocalypse salesman. One fan called him a "wonderful fuzzy warm hearted human being," which is about as close to a community group hug as the internet gets. Even his old Apple slogan callback — telling students to "think different" and not follow the same path as everyone else — landed as inspiration instead of corporate wallpaper.
But because this is the internet, the thread couldn’t stay wholesome for long. A side argument exploded over Israel, Gaza, and whether criticism of government policy gets unfairly labeled antisemitism. Suddenly the comments went from graduation applause to full-on culture-war detour. Meanwhile, one practical soul cut through the drama with the most relatable post of all: they just wanted the actual speech. Classic online energy — half emotional debate, half "link please."
Key Points
- •Steve Wozniak received applause at Grand Valley State University’s graduation ceremony after telling students, “You have AI — actual intelligence.”
- •Wozniak described AI as part of an effort to recreate how a brain works, saying it is one attempt to duplicate routines at large scale.
- •The article contrasts his reception with later ceremonies where Eric Schmidt and Gloria Caulfield were booed for AI-related remarks.
- •The article says AI is reshaping the job market for graduates by changing skill requirements and employer assessment methods.
- •Wozniak also urged graduates to “think different” and avoid simply following the same path as everyone else.