'F**k AI, F**k It to Death': Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard Graduates to 'Destroy AI' in Viral Address [Watch]

Comedian Ronny Chieng told Harvard's Class of 2026 to 'destroy AI' and 'kill it' during the university's Class Day ceremony on 27 May. The crowd cheered. The Daily Show correspondent and rotating host delivered a profanity-laced address at one of the world's wealthiest academic institutions that has since racked up millions of views on Instagram and other platforms.

'F**k AI. F**k it to death,' Chieng declared.

While graduation speakers across the United States have spent the 2026 season urging students to embrace artificial intelligence, Chieng went the other way.

'I'm here to tell you the mission of your generation is to destroy AI, kill it,' he said.

AI Will Make Mediocre People Dumber

Chieng grounded his stance in academic research, referencing a 2025 MIT study published on arXiv titled 'Your Brain on ChatGPT.' The paper tracked 54 participants and found that those who relied on large language models produced more generic work, felt less connected to their output and struggled to think independently once the tool was taken away.

'I think AI is just gonna end up making mediocre people dumber,' he said. He mocked professionals who boast about using AI to read and respond to their emails. 'You need artificial intelligence just to match me. I'm a dumbass who couldn't get into Harvard.'

The comedian, who holds a law degree from the University of Melbourne and won an Emmy with The Daily Show in 2024, did draw a line. Medical and scientific applications of AI were not the problem, he said. For everyone else, he warned that 'getting an actual advantage from AI in the future will require a minimum escape velocity of intelligence.'

$56.9 Billion Endowment, $25-an-Hour Wages

Chieng took aim at the gap between Harvard's institutional wealth and its graduate student pay. He told the crowd that AI claims Harvard has a $56.9 billion (£42.1 billion) endowment while the Harvard Graduate Students Union is on strike for a liveable wage increase to $25 (£18.50) an hour.

'There's no way that's true,' he joked. 'How bad are these AI hallucinations getting?'

Both figures are accurate. Harvard's endowment stood at $56.9 billion as of 30 June 2025, the largest in higher education. The graduate students' union walked off the job on 21 April 2026 after 14 months of stalled negotiations. Teaching fellows earn $26,300 (£19,460) a year—qualifying some for food assistance—while the union is seeking a $55,000 (£40,700) base salary.

'I just turned 40. Let me tell you, money isn't everything,' Chieng said, before flipping the script. 'It's only good for buying comfort, necessities, peace of mind, and self-worth.'

He urged graduates not to chase wealth alone. 'Tackle the world's problems, like hunger, or access to education, or microplastics in our balls.'

Gen Z's Growing AI Backlash Hits the Workforce

The speech landed at a moment of rising anti-AI sentiment among the generation now entering the labour market. A Gallup survey of 1,572 people aged 14 to 29, conducted in February and March 2026, found that hopefulness about AI fell from 27 per cent to 18 per cent year on year. Anger rose nine points to 31 per cent. Nearly half of working young adults said the risks of AI outweigh its benefits in the workplace.

That frustration has been audible all graduation season. Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was heckled at the University of Central Florida. Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta was jeered at Middle Tennessee State University. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt received the same treatment at the University of Arizona, Inc. reported.

Chieng framed the generational divide differently. 'I think your generation's upcoming battle won't be humans against AI,' he said. 'It's gonna be people with substance versus people with shallow knowledge. It's gonna be mastery versus faking it.'

He closed by asking the audience to think of the people who helped them reach that point. Then he pivoted back. 'Be kind, be joyful. But for the love of God, help me destroy these machines first.'