- Eric Schmidt is the latest AI advocate to be touted by students
- The University of Arizona class of 2026 was not impressed with his AI remarks
- There has been a growing backlash to the technology from graduates
Less than a week after University of Florida students booed real estate agent Gloria Caulfield for mentioning AI in their commencement speech, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has received the same treatment for the same reason at the University of Arizona.
“You want to help shape artificial intelligence,” seemed to be the line students took the most loathing, according to The Verge, though Schmidt also acknowledged the concerns and fears that come with AI — including significant changes to the job market.
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With Caulfield’s address, it was the line “artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution” that got the loudest boos, while The Register reports a similar reaction to mentions of AI at Middle Tennessee State University by record producer Scott Borchetta.
It seems that the graduating class of 2026 really isn’t ready to hear about the benefits of AI at the moment, and they’re much more concerned that an AI apocalypse is arriving—a concern fueled by a rise in deepfakes, hallucinations, energy shortages, and out-of-control agent bots.
A ‘crazy message’ to deliver
Former Google CEO receives massive backlash for praising AI at graduation from r/singularity
Most of the online reaction to Schmidt’s speech was negative. “Learn to read the space,” advised one Redditor, while another described it as a “crazy message” to deliver to recent graduates who are told AI can take all the jobs they’re applying for.
For others, it is not that AI is inherently bad as a technology, but rather that AI companies and regulators are not doing enough to help those who will be adversely affected by it. There is a real concern that the rich will get richer and leave everyone else behind.
We’re at an interesting point where we’ve got AI companies increasingly hailing the technology, while many companies struggle to use it effectively, and those who think they might be displaced by AI continue to rage against it.
As for Schmidt’s former company, Google, it’s hosting its annual I/O show later today, and there should be a lot more AI packed into the announcements: If you want to hear what the future holds (and cheer or boo accordingly), you can tune in online.
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