RELATED: 'Sophia,' an AI robot, will give D'Youville University's commencement speech Students and faculty even went as far as drawing up petitions, which already have nearly 2,000 signatures.

Sophia the robot was D'Youville University's spring commencement speaker on Saturday, despite some student's petitioning the private college's decision.

The appearance of this robot at an event where the focus is usually on the students and a more traditional speaker sparked some very mixed reactions.

D'Youville has invited Sophia, a humanoid automaton produced by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, to address its graduates at the May 11 ceremony at LECOM Harborcenter.

A New York university's robot commencement speaker dished out generic wisdom similar to what is often heard in human-delivered addresses. Reactions were mixed.