Several students at Glendale Community College in Arizona received a chance to redo their graduation after an AI system repeatedly made errors.
AI tools to announce students’ names during graduation ceremonies are becoming more popular. However, during a Glendale Community College ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona, the AI mispronounced and skipped names due to timing errors.
The ceremony was paused twice as the college president, Tiffany Hernandez, apologized, attributing the mistakes to the AI. Initially, affected graduates were told they couldn’t walk again, but after backlash, they were allowed a redo with a human announcer.
AI tools like Tassel claim accuracy by allowing students to verify name pronunciations and provide AI-generated previews. Tassel’s AI uses a model trained on voice actors to sound natural, though it can feel impersonal. StageClip’s NameCheck shares pronunciations with a human announcer for practice.
Glendale Community College did not disclose the AI system used, but a combination of AI and human announcers might solve timing and pronunciation issues and add a personal touch.
“When a familiar person speaks a student’s name, it shows respect and belonging. Outsourcing this may imply efficiency is valued over identity,” said June Prakash, president of Arlington’s teachers’ union, last month. Arlington’s Washington-Liberty High School canceled plans to use Tassel for an upcoming graduation.