Delta CEO used AI to write his commencement speech, then trashed it

"“Out of curiosity, I asked AI to prepare the address. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was generated,” Bastian told the graduating class of more than 5,000 students. “But I also noticed the lack of soul nor warmth it conveyed,” he said. “It was not my personal voice, and it did not express my genuine appreciation for the opportunity to impart my insights to thousands of you. You want to hear from me, not some algorithm of me.”"

"“So, don't worry,” he told the crowd. “I threw it away, and took pencil to paper.” New grads are facing a turbulent job market that has been completely reshaped by AI, so Bastian's measured words about the technology likely felt like a breath of fresh air. The CEO was met with a round of applause-a change of pace from the booing some commencement speakers have been subjected to in the last few weeks."

"For example, at the University of Central Florida last Friday, humanities department commencement speaker Gloria Caulfield, vice president of strategic alliances at Tavistock Development Co., was booed after touting AI as the “next industrial revolution.” Bastian joined Delta in 1998 as its vice president of finance and climbed through the ranks until he became the company's CEO in 2016. Under his tenure, Delta has grown to surpass a market capitalization of $46 billion."

"Through his career, he told grads that he's been faced with making some tough decisions (perhaps such as recently cutting snacks and drinks from hundreds of daily flights). “Doing the right thing comes at a cost,” he told the students. “But I always prefer to think of it as an investment, a smart investment.” “I've had many important decisions to make over the course of my career, and I must admit, taking a shortcut or pushing th"

Ed Bastian told Emory University graduates that he asked artificial intelligence to prepare his commencement address. He said the speech was generated quickly and easily, but he noticed it lacked soul and warmth. He said the draft was not his personal voice and did not express genuine appreciation for the opportunity to share insights with thousands of students. He told the crowd to hear from him rather than an algorithm. He said he discarded the AI draft and wrote the speech himself with pencil and paper. He also referenced making tough career decisions and described doing the right thing as an investment.

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