NTU's AI 'ambassador Hailey' draws backlash after appearing at convocation ceremony

Hailey's appearance at a recent convocation ceremony at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has sparked backlash.

The catch? She is NTU's hyper-realistic generative AI (GenAI) ambassador.

The clip was uploaded by TikTok user dalgomi on Thursday (July 23).

In the clip, the camera pans to screens on stage, where Hailey is seen strolling about with a smile on her face.

The clip then cuts to the user asking aloud: "What was that?"

In the caption, he wrote: "You could tell the audience was shocked".

In the comments section, netizens criticised and questioned the need to use an AI ambassador to celebrate a milestone moment for graduates. 

"Imagine what should be your proudest moment of university, [yet] they congratulate you with AI," lamented one commenter.

Another commenter sarcastically quipped: "Your lecturer can [use AI], but you can't."

Singapore is among five global AI pioneers, according to the 2024 AI Maturity Matrix, as companies here increasingly adopt AI to automate tasks and streamline processes. 

However, 58 per cent of employees worry AI could replace their jobs within two years, according to human resources firm ManpowerGroup’s Global Talent Barometer 2026 report released on Tuesday (Jan 20).

An NTU spokesperson said, in response to AsiaOne's query, the video was first released last year to celebrate the university's graduates, with original music written by one of its professors and vocals performed by an alumni member.

Hailey, NTU's GenAI ambassador for social media engagement introduced in 2024, was featured in the video as an example of the university's efforts to experiment with emerging technologies at the forefront of the AI revolution, the spokesperson added.

"At its heart, it is a video for our graduates that celebrates this important milestone in their lives," said the spokesperson.

AsiaOne has contacted user dalgomi for comment.

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com