Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced significant backlash from students during a commencement speech at the University of Arizona as he addressed the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Schmidt reflected on the unintended consequences of the digital age, stating, "We thought we were adding to the temple of knowledge humans have been building for centuries, but the world we’ve built ended up more complex than we expected."
Schmidt acknowledged that the tools designed to connect people have, in many ways, driven them apart. He noted that platforms intended to give everyone a voice have also eroded the public square and fueled political polarization. "In the years after my graduation, no one sat down with a resolve to build technology that would polarize democracies or disrupt the lives of a generation," he remarked, admitting that while it wasn't the intention, it became the reality.
Responding to the audible boos from the audience, Schmidt validated the students' concerns. "I know how many of you feel about this. I can hear you. You are fearful—fearful that your future has been pre-determined, that the machines are coming, that jobs are disappearing, and that you are inheriting a mess not of your making," he said, describing these fears as "legitimate."
Despite the skepticism, Schmidt urged the graduating class to adapt to and actively influence the technology's trajectory. He concluded with a call to action: "The question is not whether AI will shape the world. It certainly will. The question is whether you will shape AI." He encouraged graduates to move beyond apprehension and take a seat at the table in defining how AI will be deployed in the future.
