Comedian Ronny Chieng tells Harvard graduates to 'destroy AI', draws loud cheers

Graduation speeches usually follow a familiar script: embrace change, seize opportunities and prepare for a future shaped by artificial intelligence.

Ronny Chieng had other ideas.

Standing before Harvard's Class of 2026, the comedian, actor and Daily Show correspondent delivered a commencement address that was equal parts stand-up routine, cultural critique and warning about the growing role of AI in everyday life. While many public figures have urged young people to master artificial intelligence, Chieng challenged graduates to resist becoming overly dependent on it.

His most memorable line came early. "I'm here to tell you the mission of your generation is to destroy AI," he declared, drawing laughter, applause and plenty of attention online.

Beneath the humour and the colourful language, however, was a more serious argument. He said that convenience can come at a cost, and that excessive reliance on AI tools risks weakening the very skills that universities are meant to cultivate.

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"Creating is the fun part"

Chieng's speech tapped into a growing debate about the role of AI in education and work. While he acknowledged the technology's potential to accelerate breakthroughs in science and medicine, he drew a sharp distinction between using AI to expand human capability and using it to replace human effort.

Referring to concerns raised by researchers about overdependence on large language models, Chieng argued that constantly outsourcing thinking, writing and problem-solving could leave people intellectually weaker.

"I'm talking about the accumulation of cognitive debt due to excessive use of large language models," he told the audience. "This is why you should be scared of AI."

He was particularly dismissive of the idea that routine tasks such as reading and responding to emails should be delegated to chatbots.

Addressing graduates directly, he mocked the trend of using AI for basic communication, joking that if someone could not handle those tasks themselves, they should probably rethink their usefulness.

The comedian then turned to what he viewed as a deeper issue: the risk of losing the satisfaction that comes from mastering difficult skills.

"What they're missing is this: the creating is the fun part," he said.

Drawing on his own experience as a comedian, Chieng described creativity as a process of struggle, experimentation and eventual reward. Whether writing code, crafting a joke or producing a piece of writing, he argued that the challenge itself is often more meaningful than the final result.

"Please don't let AI rob you of the fun part," he urged.

A growing backlash against AI culture

While Chieng's delivery was comedic, his concerns echo a broader cultural shift.

Across universities and workplaces, some young people have begun questioning the rapid adoption of AI tools. Critics argue that technology companies and executives are pushing artificial intelligence into classrooms and offices faster than society has had time to consider the long-term consequences.

Among the concerns frequently raised are declining critical-thinking skills, reduced creativity and what some researchers describe as "cognitive surrender", the tendency to accept AI-generated responses without independent evaluation.

Chieng framed the challenge facing graduates as something larger than a technological arms race.

"Your generation's upcoming battle won't be humans against AI; that's at least two months away," he joked. "It's going to be people with substance versus people with shallow knowledge. It's going to be mastery versus faking it. It's going to be people with good taste versus tacky."

For a generation entering a job market already being reshaped by automation, the message clearly resonated.

The future, Chieng suggested, may not be decided by who uses the most AI. It may be decided by who retains the ability to think, create and solve problems when the machines are switched off.