Caps off to this kid.
A daring Nebraska high school graduate shocked audiences Sunday when he went off-script from his admin-approved commencement speech that was penned by ChatGPT.
It started like any inspirational address — until a few lines in.
“I don’t know about y’all, but I hated school,” Grand Island Senior High School graduate Kenny Morales said to the crowd, the Grand Island Independent reports.
Morales then launched into a tirade condemning the school’s “culture,” which he blames for physical altercations on campus.
He claimed administrators “lie” rather than “being honest and addressing the issues head-on,” according to a transcript provided to the Independent.
He implored fellow students to step up as leaders and “set the standard.”
“It was more about that message (of raising expectations),” he told the outlet, adding that his speech merely offered constructive criticism. “I just wanted to start a conversation.”
But Hank McFarland, president of the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education, argues that students “should be giving speeches as submitted” — which Morales did not.
“I disagree with how this matter came about. Seniors are required to submit their speeches for approval, and they should be giving the speeches as submitted,” he said in a statement to The Post. “I am a big believer in saying what you are going to do and then doing what you said you would do.”
“That being said, however, Mr. Morales did make several valid points,” he added.
McFarland said school administrators are addressing the issues raised by Morales.
“I believe strongly that if you have faults, you need to first admit those faults, and then formulate a plan to fix them,” his statement continued.
Discipline, class attendance and setting higher expectations of student performance, McFarland shared, are areas that need improvement.
“Every single point Mr. Morales addressed has been discussed with our new administration. I can assure you that we will be making adjustments,” he vowed.
While “changing a culture that has existed for years takes time,” McFarland said he hopes the school’s new superintendent, Matt Fisher, will “bring about the changes necessary to drastically improve our public schools.”
“Short story made long — does the student have valid concerns? Yes. Will we take note of his comments and provide meaningful change? Yes,” McFarland said. “Was the way he did it correct? No.”
Students must submit drafts of their commencement speeches ahead of graduation for blind review by Grand Island Senior High staff, according to a statement from the district obtained by The Post.
The selected student works with Executive Principal Jeff Gilbertson to refine the address before it is approved.
The lionhearted Morales duped faculty by submitting a graduation speech articulated by OpenAI’s software ChatGPT.
“I said ‘Give me a speech about gratitude,’ and I gave specific examples about what I wanted it to include,” Morales, who will soon be a college freshman, told Nebraska TV News.
Skyrocketing to popularity last year, ChatGPT is challenging educators as students use it to compose essays and cheat on exams.
But experts are sounding alarms over the AI software’s capabilities.
Sam Altman, the mastermind behind ChatGPT, previously told ABC News that treading “carefully” is imperative, admitting he’s a little “scared” of his brainchild.
On Monday, Altman appeared before Congress, pleading for further AI-related restrictions to mitigate potential technological disaster.
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