The assistant professor of journalism was recently interviewed by Inside HIgher Ed in a story about the impact of artificial intelligence on college graduates.
Elon University Assistant Professor of Journalism Israel Balderas contributed insight to a recent Inside Higher Ed article examining how artificial intelligence is shaping the outlook of today’s college students and recent graduates. The story, “A Specter of AI Haunts the Class of 2026,” explores growing concerns about how AI may affect careers, learning and the future of higher education.
Balderas, whose work focuses on free speech and AI, emphasized the importance of helping students understand AI as a tool that requires thoughtful and ethical use rather than fear or avoidance. He spoke to the negative reaction from graduates at several commencement ceremonies when the commencment speaker brought up the topic of AI or AI was used as part of the ceremony.
“These reactions may seem emotional and disproportionate on the surface, but AI arrived at a moment when many of these young people were already questioning how technology has shaped their relationships, their attention spans, their mental health and even their sense of belonging,” he told Inside Higher Ed. “Add AI disruption to that, and there’s a growing sense among young people that they are inheriting systems that they didn’t design and they don’t fully control.”
But Balderas says the reaction is more than just about job security.
“When AI starts appearing in spaces that have traditionally carried emotional meaning—like graduation ceremonies—the reaction is going to be bigger than the specific incident itself,” Balderas said. “This is tapping into a deeper fear that society is becoming very good at simulating human interaction while becoming worse at actually practicing it.”