Glendale Community College’s AI system malfunctioned; after the ceremony was paused twice, it switched to manual reading.

According to AZFamily, at the commencement ceremony held on May 15 by Glendale Community College (GCC), a new AI name-reading system used during the event malfunctioned: the names shown on the screen did not match the graduates who walked on stage, some graduates’ names were skipped, and the ceremony was interrupted at least twice. After strong audience reactions, the school immediately reversed its decision, allowing the affected graduates to walk on stage again, with their names read manually instead.

Full confirmation of the event’s timeline

Based on the sequence of events confirmed by AZFamily:

Malfunction details: the names read out did not match the graduates walking up to the stage; the names at the bottom of the screen stopped changing (system froze)

Ceremony interruptions: the ceremony was paused at least twice

Dean’s explanation: Hernandez walked on stage to explain and apologize, drawing boos from the audience

Initial decision: it was announced that the graduates whose names were skipped would not be allowed to return to the stage

Decision reversal: following strong audience reactions, the school changed its decision and allowed the affected graduates to walk on stage again

Subsequent handling: the graduates’ names were read manually

The dean’s confirmation at the ceremony

Tiffany Hernandez said on-site: “This is how it was. We are using a new artificial intelligence system as our reader. Yes, yes. This is a lesson for us.” Her remarks drew a wave of boos from the audience, and she also apologized for the incident.

An official statement later released by Glendale Community College and Maricopa Community Colleges said: “At one of our commencement ceremonies, a technical issue occurred that affected the reading of some graduates’ names. Although the problem was resolved during the ceremony, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this incident caused to the graduates and their families, as this should have been a moment for them to celebrate. We also communicated directly with the graduates to apologize for the matter. We will take measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.”

Graduates’ confirmed reactions

Grace Reimer said that when she walked onto the stage, she did not hear the cheers from her family, who normally like to stir things up, and only realized something was wrong after she returned to her seat; it was only a few minutes later that she heard her name being read. She said, “It doesn’t feel sincere, and it feels like they don’t even care.” She added: “I hope they put a bit more thought into it, instead of simply reading some names into an AI device.”

FAQ

Does this incident involve a broader AI name-reading system issue in the Phoenix area?

According to AZFamily, the malfunction at Glendale Community College was not an isolated case. The report said that in the Phoenix Valley area recently, commencement ceremonies were interrupted due to AI name-reading system failures, but it did not provide detailed information about other specific cases.

Did all affected graduates ultimately walk on stage again?

According to AZFamily, after the audience’s strong reaction, the school changed its initial decision to allow the graduates whose names were skipped to walk on stage again, and to have their names read manually instead. The official statement also confirmed that the school communicated directly with the graduates to apologize.

What commitment did the school’s official statement make regarding follow-up actions?

The official statement from Glendale Community College and Maricopa Community Colleges said it would “take measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” but it did not specify the details of the measures or a timeline.