Like many other Moravian friends and family, I attended the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025 on May 3, 2025, to cheer on and say farewell to my graduating friends. It was an enjoyable ceremony – the rain held off, the sun came out, and smiles were abundant among the graduates and the crowd. Faculty members and student speakers addressed the crowd of proud families and friends, and soon the graduates were walking across the stage to receive their diplomas.  

The names of the graduates began to be read off one by one, and I recognized the voice speaking. It was not President Grigsby, or any other faculty member, as families and friends might have expected. I recognized the speaker as artificial intelligence.

At first, I was extremely confused. I was watching the podium as the names began to be read off, but nobody was standing there. It took me only a few seconds to recognize the hallmark traits of an AI voice, such as its clarity and monotony. Once I realized who (or what) was speaking, I got a little weirded out. Why would the university use an AI speaker to announce the names at graduation? 

According to Suzanne Moyer, Moravian’s executive director of Conference and Event Management, the university began using an AI speaker during the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate multiple ceremonies and reduce human contact. Since then, Moravian has been outsourcing name announcements to Tassel, a company that uses an AI model to craft name pronunciations that sound almost human-like.

The goal is to ensure uniformity and prevent mispronunciations. Graduates can register with Tassel and listen to an AI-generated pronunciation of their name. If there are any mistakes, the student can correct them, or a professional voice artist can step in. 

Despite this, graduates Celia Gloy ‘25 and Amira Lane ‘25 noted that the model still mispronounced some names in the moment.

“It felt less authentic than someone reading our names,” said Lane. “It’s a nice idea to utilize modern technology to celebrate our successes, but I’m still not a huge fan of AI.” 

Gloy echoed her sentiments, noting, “it felt less personal.”

You would think that after four years of grueling work for our degrees, Moravian would find someone who would take the time and care to learn the pronunciation of our names. Instead, they hired a company to do it for them.

Students from other universities who have used AI speakers at graduation have expressed the same concerns. Northeastern University in Boston also hired Tassel, which some students did not take kindly to. After their school contracted with Tassel, West Chester University students petitioned to use a human speaker instead — and the school listened.

I don’t see why Moravian needs to use an AI speaker. At a small school with fewer than 2,500 undergraduates, it doesn’t seem like name announcements would need to be streamlined for the sake of efficiency and speed. 

I also ask if the contract with Tassel is something worth spending the university’s money on. As students, remember that we are stakeholders here.

Although the university currently has no school-wide policy against the use of AI, many professors hold strong stances against using it in the classroom. And as AI technologies grow more complex, some have expressed concerns about the state of intellectualism and creativity (a concern I personally share). 

As a member of the Class of 2026, I am graduating soon. In the culmination of my four years here, I would prefer to hear my name read by a human voice. I want the announcer to be someone proud of what I have accomplished and who can relate to my experiences, even if they don’t know me. That cannot be said for artificial intelligence.

It may not seem like a big deal to some members of the Moravian community, but it should be. 

To students: You have worked hard, and you deserve authenticity on your graduation day.

To professors: I ask that you consider the implications for the state of higher education and for your students. 

In a world seemingly being taken over by artificial intelligence, we need every last drop of authenticity, intellectualism, and humanity we can get. I hope that next May, when I walk across that stage and receive my diploma, it is a human speaker reading my name for my family and friends to cheer on.

If you would like to see this change, sign the petition here.