DONKEY: AI Flubs Students Names During Glendale Community College Graduation Ceremony

Summary

Donkey of the Day: AI Flubs Students’ Names at Glendale Community College Graduation

Podcast: Donkey of the Day, Power 105.1 FM
Host: Charlamagne tha God & The Breakfast Club
Date: May 20, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Charlamagne tha God awards his signature "Donkey of the Day" to President Tiffany Hernandez and the staff of Glendale Community College after the school used artificial intelligence to read out students’ names at a graduation ceremony—resulting in multiple errors and a deeply impersonal experience for graduates. The team discusses the importance of human touch in significant life moments, the dangers of over-reliance on AI, and the hypocrisy of institutions that preach against students using AI but embrace it when convenient.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Setup (02:04–02:26)

• Charlamagne introduces the Donkey of the Day and sets up the topic: Glendale Community College’s use of AI to announce names at graduation, which turned chaotic.
• "You are going to have a large swath of society that completely submits to the robots...The rest of us are going to disconnect because nobody wants to spend the rest of their life going on social media questioning what’s real or not." (Charlamagne, 02:30)

2. AI’s Failures at Graduation (04:19–05:11)

• School’s attempt to automate name announcements with AI led to mismatched names, blank screens, and silence instead of cheers for students.
• Actual news audio from WRAL shared, highlighting the experience of Grace Reimer whose name was either misread or completely omitted.
• "Graduation isn’t just some assembly line event...This is a once in a lifetime ceremony for these kids." (Charlamagne, 05:32)

3. Laziness & Missed Humanity (05:28–09:19)

• Charlamagne criticizes the justification behind using AI, accusing the administration of “being lazy for no reason.”
• He notes the inconsistency: Schools warn students not to use AI for their work, then depend on it for ceremonial duties.
  • "Then as soon as it’s time for the administration to do their work, they bring in RTD2...Wally...Optimus Prime...the Terminator, okay, to do all the work for them." (Charlamagne, 06:48)
• The harm: Skipping students’ names is more than an inconvenience; it’s a loss of cherished family moments and a sign of losing “soul” in important rituals.
• "Skipping someone’s name at graduation is more than an inconvenience, okay? Imagine being the first person in your family to graduate college and your old grandma’s sitting there waiting to hear your name...She thinks she’s losing her hearing." (Charlamagne, 08:31)
• Pointed out that AI can’t provide empathy or understand the importance of a moment.

4. Hypocrisy and Societal Implications (07:27–09:19)

• AI’s integration is further juxtaposed against institutions’ warnings to students not to use tools like ChatGPT.
• Discusses generational resentments toward unchecked AI in daily life and the workplace.
• "Glendale Community College, you have proven that common sense is now an elective course." (Charlamagne, 08:07)
• "This is why people are scared of AI—not because the technology exists, but because humans keep using it to replace moments that require actual humanity." (Charlamagne, 08:57)

5. Panel Banter: Pronouncing Difficult Names (09:19–12:25)

• The crew jokes about the difficulty of reading non-Western names, referencing previous on-air mishaps and comparing their skills to AI’s failures.
• Panelists challenge each other to pronounce tough names; Charlamagne fumbles "Yanis Varoufakis," author of Techno Feudalism: What Killed Capitalism.
• "Even if you up there mispronouncing people’s names... But that’s why you practice." (Charlamagne, 11:43)
• Discussion on the importance of practice and human diligence in getting names right, emphasizing it's a matter of respect.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On AI Replacing Important Human Rituals:
  • “Graduation isn’t just some assembly line event. You can’t treat these kids like products on a conveyor belt...You turned the most personal part...to just a glitch in the Matrix.”
    (Charlamagne, 05:32)
• On Institutional Hypocrisy:
  • “These schools spend years telling students, don’t use chat GPT...Do the work yourself. Then as soon as it’s time for the administration to do their work, they bring in RTD2, Wally, Optimus Prime, they bring in the Terminator, okay, to do all the work for them.”
    (Charlamagne, 06:48)
• On Real-Life Impact:
  • “Imagine being the first person in your family to graduate college...and she never heard your name, but she saw you walk across stage. Got that old lady thinking she’s going crazy—and it’s your fault!”
    (Charlamagne, 08:33)
• On Generational Sentiments:
  • “Where does rapid, unchecked integration of AI into your lives and workplace rank? All right, you have a whole generation who already feel like technology is replacing jobs, creativity, and human connection.”
    (Charlamagne, 07:58)
• On Practicing for Perfection:
  • “Even if you up there mispronouncing people’s names, but that’s why you practice. If you know that you’re doing a college graduation, you practice beforehand and make sure you have the pronunciation right.”
    (Charlamagne, 11:43)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:04–02:26 — Donkey of the Day intro/set-up
• 03:30–05:11 — Newscast clip: Explaining the AI glitch at graduation
• 05:28–09:19 — Charlamagne’s main monologue: why the AI solution missed the point
• 09:19–12:25 — Panel riffing on name pronunciation and the value of the human touch

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Episode Takeaways

• Major Criticism: Glendale Community College’s choice to automate a life milestone was seen as a lazy and disrespectful shortcut, highlighting the perils of tech replacing human moments that demand empathy and care.
• Broader Message: The panel calls for common sense, preparation, and a respectful human element in ceremonial and meaningful contexts—urging institutions to reconsider where AI really belongs.

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For listeners or those who missed the episode, the debate brings humor but ultimately a deep warning about the limits of AI, the unique role of human presence in rituals, and the need for integrity on both sides of the education equation.

Transcript

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[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, no.

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[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm Joe.

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I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called hey Jonas.

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We invented a podcast.

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Well, we didn't invent it.

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We.

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We just contributed to it. First people to do podcasts.

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We get to ask other people questions.

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Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

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[Charlamagne tha God]

That was Donkey of the Day.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Damn the Hee Haw.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

Again.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's time for Donkey of the Day.

[Robert Smigel]

I ain't trying to be donkey today no more.

[Charlamagne tha God]

They should be embarrassed by what they already did. I'm not making these people do these things called Donkey of the Day and it really caught me off guard.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Damn Charlamagne. Who got the donkey of the day today?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Well, just hilarious donkey Today for Wednesday, May 20th goes to President Tiffany Hernandez of Glendale Community College and Glendale Community College as a staff, record label and mother effing school. Okay, I'm telling you right now that we are about to experience what I call the Great disconnect. You are going to have a large swath of society that completely submits to the robots. They're going to completely submit to AI. Those are going to be the people who are proud citizens of a techno feudalist society. If you don't know what techno feudalism is, please read a great book called Techno what Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varufakis. I think that's how you pronounce his name. I can never pronounce it, but the name of the book is Techno Feudalism. What Killed Capitalism. But the rest of us are going to disconnect because nobody wants to spend the rest of their life going on social media questioning what's real or not. Okay? I'm not doing it. Swiping constantly asking yourself, is this real? Sending links to people and they hitting you back like that's not real. I don't have the mental and emotional bandwidth to live like that. And also in our line of work, the radio industry, there are already some things being done by AI, technical stuff. And I hate it, okay? Because AI is not a human. And when it comes to the details, nothing beats a human touch, all right? AI does not micromanage. Okay? I'm not even sure AI does the basic macro stuff good yet, but I don't want people using AI to cut clips for Breakfast Club. I don't want people using AI to title things and create descriptions because AI gets a lot wrong. And that is why Tiffany Hernandez and Glendale Community College need to be at the front of the congregation today. Because they decided to use AI for something that absolutely 100% needs a human touch. And that's the graduation ceremony. Yes. Someone at Glendale Community College thought it would be a great idea to have AI announce the students names. And this happens. Let's go to WRAL for the report, please.

[Podcast Announcer]

What a mess for everyone involved here at Glendale Community College. Students work so hard to get to this point to get their diploma and graduate. And they say the school should have been better prepared.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Michael D. Gonzalez.

[Podcast Announcer]

The names being read during GCC's commencement didn't appear to match who was walking across Stage India Hall. Then the names at the bottom of the screen stopped changing.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

AZUCINA de Mesa Jimenez.

[Podcast Announcer]

Then the screen on the left goes blank.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

I was honestly just proud to be there in the moment.

[Podcast Announcer]

It was only after Grace Reimer crossed the stage and returned to her seat that she realized something was off. Here's the photo. That's her on stage. That's not her name, but I also

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

didn't hear a lot of cheering, and I know that my family is a pretty loud family.

[Podcast Announcer]

Several minutes later, Grace Marie Reimer, she finally heard her name.

[Co-host or Panelist 2]

Yeah, that's not right. And it definitely made me feel uneasy. Here's what's happening. We're using a new AI system as our reader, so that is a lesson learned for us.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Damn. This story is the perfect example of people using AI because they're lazy for no reason. Okay? I mean, what is the point of using AI for these kids? Graduation. Is it really too much to ask to have a couple of people stand up and read names? Okay, are we really just gonna let the robots have everything? We concerned about AI taking jobs, but we giving away the easy ones like this? Okay, you adults are busy trying to save time, maybe money, I don't know, but you're completely missing the point of the moment. Graduation isn't just some assembly line event. You can't treat these kids like products on a conveyor belt. Some fall off, some don't. Some get labeled wrong, some get labeled right, some get stamped, some get thrown away. This is a once in a lifetime ceremony for these kids. Families drove in, okay? Students spent years and thousands of dollars hustling. And you turned the most personal part, hearing your name called so you can do a little dance. Some pomp and circumstance, y' all turn that to just a glitch in the Matrix, okay? And the irony of this story, what really bothers me, these school spend years telling students, don't use chat GPT, okay? Don't use AI to plagiarize. Do the work yourself. Don't let AI do it for you. Then as soon as it's time for the administration to do their work, they bring in RTD2. RTD2. R2, R2D2. What's the thing name? R2D2. Okay, they bring in Wally, all right? They bring in Optimus Prime. They bring in a Terminator, okay? To do all the work for them. What would you do if. If you found out your fitness trainer was secretly using Ozempic and Zepbound, but was always speaking to you about the dangers of weight loss, drugs, Would you trust him? No, you wouldn't. Okay. Hey, young world, Generation Z, where does AI rank in your top five in regards to your growing list of resentments? Okay, I know y' all got. I know y' all hate hustle culture that's up there. Climate change, capitalism, America being beholden to Israel. Where does rapid, unchecked integration of AI into your lives and workplace rank? All right, you have a whole generation who already feel like technology is replacing jobs, creativity, and human connection. And this incident at Glendale Community College is just another example of that. Okay? Glendale Community College, you have proven that common sense is now an elective course. Okay? Using AI to announce human names at a graduation. And the robot was skipping people like Spotify skipping songs on shuffle. This is the problem with society, okay? Everybody wants efficiency over expense. AI can't guarantee efficiency, but happy, well paid humans can. Okay, I'm not even sure AI knows what efficiency is. I damn sure know that AI doesn't understand empathy or the importance of a moment. And when this robot messed up these kids names, all President Tiffany Hernandez and the administration could offer is the corporate classic, we apologize for the inconvenience. Man, skipping someone's name at graduation is more than an inconvenience, okay? Imagine being the first person in your family to graduate college and your old grandma sitting there waiting to hear your name. And she doesn't. And she thinks she's losing her hearing because she never heard your name, but she knows she saw you walk across stage. Got that old lady thinking she going crazy and it's your fault. This is why people are scared of AI not because the technology exists, but because humans keep using it to replace moments that require actual humanity. Okay? Some things require soul, and that's what AI will never have. Please give President Tiffany Hernandez of Glendale Community College the biggest. Seahawk. I see your dumb ass beige wheels turning. I see them stupid ass waffle colored wheels turning. I'm just saying, what is your brain thinking? Man, that is the color of dirty urine.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Remember when Webby was up here and Webby couldn't pronounce those names?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Now listen, now, now, some of those names, like I see what you're doing. Some of those names, that's different. Now if I had to. If I had to choose who to say the names, okay, if it's Webby, if it's me, because I can't really pronounce that. Well, if it's just hilarious, then Maybe you think A.I. okay, if it's you, I'm going A.I. maybe I just got to see who else is available first. What other humans are available? Some of them Names be what other

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

humans are available in pronouncing people's names? I'm really good with pronouncing people's names. Yes, I am.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Then when you go to other coaches,

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I'm real good with pronouncing.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

It's not just your American name, not your Thompsons and your Jacksons. When it goes to the. Like, the name you.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

You started with African. What's the African guy that you. You named the author with the book Feudalism.

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's not African. You.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

You said.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

What was it?

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's not African. He's. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

He made a sandwich. African doll.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yanas varufakas.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Exactly. That is definitely wrong.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yeah, that's not right.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

So now you're a professor.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

It's.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Yeah, that sounds like you cursed at somebody mad spit everywhere. So I get why they did it. Then we go to the Asian name.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But you scraped the bottom. You scrape the bottom of the barrel, Webby. All right.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Me?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, Jess. Hilarious.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Like, why y' all keep saying just hilarious?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Boy, ain't no we know nothing.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I know how to.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know people can hear you, right? You know they can hear you every day.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Oh, hello.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yeah. I don't mess people name up. I may mess up other things, but not people's names.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Here we can't even say Spanish names right? Like, it be Riviera.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Hold on.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Riviera. Like, what are we talking about? Okay, stop playing with me.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Give her a name. Okay, Give her name. All right, Give her name.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Okay.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Yeah, this going to be good. This going to be good.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Pronounce that.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Pronounce that G. Techno Feudalism.

[Charlamagne tha God]

No, girl. Oh. See what I'm saying?

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

No.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Shut up. Yanis Faru.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Yeah, exactly.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Now they on stage.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Now they mad because you said that name wrong.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You cursed on the radio three times already.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Stop cursing a African.

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's not African. All right.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

What is he?

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's not African. Exactly. So that.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

See, I. I can't see. We just made the point. We can't say any names to that professor. Go up there sounding like us,

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

either.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yes, you don't. And I know AI is messed up.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Yesterday I posted a picture of AI, and it cut my arm up. I ain't even see my arms off. Only had one arm, but, you know, But.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But once again, for a graduation ceremony that needs a human touch, bro.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay. Even if you up there mispronouncing people's names, you know, you got to make sure you get the names right. But that's why you practice. If you Know that you're doing a college graduation. You practice beforehand and make sure you have the pronunciation right. I don't care.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I don't care. You ask everybody that name. You got to make sure that you pronounce their names right. 2000 names.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's a graduation kiss. A college graduation. That's how important a day like that is.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

X everybody name. Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You pronounce. You. You practice pronouncing the names. If you're the person pronouncing the name.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

That's right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

By the way, that's what I would do. I could do it. If I'm like Batman. You give me some time to prepare. I'll get it done. Okay.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I just need it.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Varoufakas. Yes, that is his name.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Y'. All.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Just took you four times to figure it out. You only got one shot.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

I said it right all times, but you gotta read that name.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Slough.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Thank you for that donkey today. Now when we come back, Byron Allen was with us last hour. We're gonna play some more of that interview. He. We spoke to him for about an hour and 40 minutes. And if you don't know who he is, he's the owner of the Weather Channel, the owner of buzzfeed, buzzfeed, Huffington Post.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

He's tasty.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Tasty. And he also comedian. He has a new show, another name to read. Here we go.

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Comics Unleashed.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Also, what's this word phonetically?

[Co-host or Panelist 1]

Don't ever play with me.

[Charlamagne tha God]

She did go to books.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

She did go to. She went to Baltimore Community College.

[Charlamagne tha God]

She goes to words. Leave it alone.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

All right, Just.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The Breakfast Club.

[Co-host or Panelist 3]

Good morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Donkey of the Day is sponsored by renowned personal injury attorney Michael the Bull. Lame software. Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on your side. If you're ever injured, go to Michael the Bull dotcom. That's michaelthebull dot com. And when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

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Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, no.

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We help people customize and save on car insurance. We Liberty Mutual. Together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

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Anyways, get a quote@liberty mutual.com or with your local agent.

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Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

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I'm Joe.

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I'm Kevin, and I'm Nick and guess what? We created our own podcast called hey Jonas.

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We invented a podcast.

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Well, we didn't invent it, we we just contributed to it. First people to do podcasts.

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We get to ask other people questions

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because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

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Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Where does your we do some retirement homes.

[Robert Smigel]

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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