If you're giving a graduation speech in 2026, skip the AI hype

Graduating students don’t care about AI the way CEOs and tech bloggers do. They’re tired of hearing how robots will save the future — when their parents are working three jobs, their cousins are stuck in debt, and the rent keeps climbing. They’ve seen AI churn out essays, fake job apps, and customer service bots that never fix anything. What they want to hear is how they’ll pay their bills, keep their families close, and build something real — not another buzzword.

The truth? AI isn’t the hero. It’s the tool. And most of it was built by people who still can’t get health insurance. The kids walking across that stage know that. They don’t need another speaker telling them to "embrace the future." They need someone to say: "You already are the future. And you’re not waiting for permission."

Why this matters for us: Our kids aren’t late to the future — they’re already living it, and they’re tired of being sold a lie.