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‘At least he’s honest’: UCLA grad flaunts use of ChatGPT at graduation ceremony, sparks debate online

A viral video of a student celebrating his AI-assisted academic journey has divided the Internet.

A student from UCLA showed moments before his graduation that he used ChatGPT for his final project. (Image source: @FearedBuck/X)

Lately, ChatGPT and other AI assistants have become go-to tools for professionals. Many students, too, are using ChatGPT for everything – from emails and essays to getting entire assignments done. Now, one UCLA graduate has taken that reliance to a new level, going viral for openly acknowledging it at his graduation.

In a video that has racked up over 38.7 million views on X, the student proudly pulls out his laptop and displays ChatGPT – the very tool he says helped him complete his final projects – just moments before receiving his degree.

The clip was shared by @FearedBuck with the caption: “UCLA graduate celebrates by showing off the ChatGPT he used for his final projects right before officially graduating.”

Watch the video here:

UCLA graduate celebrates by showing off the ChatGPT he used for his final projects right before officially graduating 😭 pic.twitter.com/hZAvrY1fJk

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) June 18, 2025

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However, not everyone found the celebration amusing. Some users expressed serious concern over students relying so heavily on AI tools like ChatGPT.

One user wrote, “Start eating healthy and working out because your future doctor is doing this same exact thing.”

Another commented, “WE DIDN’T HAVE CHATGPT WHEN I GRADUATED!!!!”

A third user said, “Our future doctors really gon have one AirPod in asking ChatGPT how to do open heart surgery.”

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But not all reactions were critical. One user defended the graduate’s honesty, saying, “People can hate but at least he is honest. You all know 98% of the people in that graduating class did the exact same thing. The other 2% didn’t graduate.”

The debate comes on the heels of a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from MIT Media Lab, Wellesley College, and MassArt, which examined the cognitive effects of using AI tools like ChatGPT for academic writing.

In the study, students were asked to write essays – some using ChatGPT, some using Google Search, and others relying solely on their own knowledge. Brain activity was monitored throughout the process.

The results were eye-opening. Researchers found that students who used ChatGPT showed less brain activity, retained less information, and were less mentally connected to their writing. While AI undeniably makes things more efficient, the study suggests it could be contributing to a troubling trend: intellectual detachment and dependence.