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Eric Schmidt booed during graduation speech about AI
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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed multiple times Sunday while discussing artificial intelligence during a commencement speech at the University of Arizona.
Key facts
- Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed multiple times Sunday while discussing artificial intelligence during a commencement speech at the University of Arizona
- He went on to argue that the future remains unwritten and that the graduating class of 2026 has real power to shape how AI develops, a claim that drew further disapproval from parts of the audience
- Schmidt, who led Google for a decade, opened his remarks by reflecting on his own student years and the rise of the computer, a device named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” in 1982
- Earlier this month, real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was similarly booed at a commencement speech at the University of Central Florida after mentioning the controversial technology
Summary
Schmidt, who led Google for a decade, opened his remarks by reflecting on his own student years and the rise of the computer,, a device named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” in 1982. While the computer connected people, “democratized knowledge” and lifted many out of poverty, it also carried a darker side, Schmidt said. “The same platforms that gave everyone a voice, like you’re using now, also degraded the public square,” he said. Schmidt then drew a parallel between artificial intelligence and the transformative impact of the computer, and was immediately met with boos.