A headline in the Wall Street Journal recently read that the “American rebellion against AI is gaining steam.” Commencement speakers have been booed for mentioning Artificial Intelligence.

Multiple commencement speakers booed for AI comments during graduation speeches – YouTube

There is lots of chatter about AI dominating discussions at law schools. Many schools are having speakers come in to talk about some aspect of AI and the challenges it presents. E-mail missives, webinars, panel discussions, etc. are everywhere. We could have AI 24/7, just listening to AI podcasts. Will there soon be a cable channel AIPN modeled after ESPN? Anxiety abounds. I find that just seeing or hearing AI mentioned induces stress even if the information is presented in a straight-forward and non-sensationalistic way.

Although careful appraisal of developments in AI certainly is warranted, I worry that we may be seeing an overreaction to change that is unnecessarily increasing, not decreasing, anxiety levels. Andy Kessler in this Wall Street Journal piece (“Ignore the Hysteria”) (registration required) observes this phenomenon.

Not that long ago, law schools were scrambling to address the many urgencies of the COVID pandemic. Zoom was the designated devil and the death of legal education was the feared outcome. I will be the first to admit that it was kind of a mess at the time. As dean, I certainly had my hands full. Many of the reactions resembled those that we see today with respect to AI. Anxious e-mails from faculty, students, administrators, and community came in slews. The same seems to be true with AI. As the lay of the land became clearer, tensions, worry about the pandemic and its impacts, calmed. AI will no doubt change things but will the anxiety subside? And, if so, when, how, and why?