Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed at Arizona U commencement speech(theguardian.com)
theguardian.com
Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed at Arizona U commencement speech
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/18/eric-schmidt-ai-university-commencement-speech-booed
17 comments
> that's the billionaire class telling you where your place is in their plan for the world
The interesting thing is the advice isn’t terrible. The speaker, however, has no right delivering it.
The interesting thing is the advice isn’t terrible. The speaker, however, has no right delivering it.
I find his advice rather terrible to be honest. Accepting AI and integrating it deeply into your work and life so you won't be among those made obsolete by AI will accelerate exactly that replacement process even further. Looks a lot like a new variant of self-fulfilling prophecy.
> Accepting AI and integrating it deeply into your work and life so you won't be among those made obsolete by AI will accelerate exactly that replacement process even further
Schmidt is paraphrasing advice around getting on a boat. Broadly speaking, if there is a green field and you're young and ambitious and not born rich, and you're able to choose whether or not to get on board, your odds are better there than wherever you are right now.
The analogy with AI would be doing something few others are doing. Just "accepting AI and integrating it deeply" is closer to trend following.
Schmidt is paraphrasing advice around getting on a boat. Broadly speaking, if there is a green field and you're young and ambitious and not born rich, and you're able to choose whether or not to get on board, your odds are better there than wherever you are right now.
The analogy with AI would be doing something few others are doing. Just "accepting AI and integrating it deeply" is closer to trend following.
Schmidt is admonishing people for resisting what he and others in a small group of morally deficient technocrats are coercing them to do.
He's distracting people to pay no attention to the unintended consequences of their actions, distracting people from the Epstein files and the role of many of the people in his circle in them, and he's bloviating in front of a bunch of people who see through his tenuous charade.
He's distracting people to pay no attention to the unintended consequences of their actions, distracting people from the Epstein files and the role of many of the people in his circle in them, and he's bloviating in front of a bunch of people who see through his tenuous charade.
What delulu-land do you live in where the advice is not terrible?
When someone demands you go to Epstein Island you swim if you have to.
This is the same guy that is testing autonomous murder drones in Ukraine to make his next billion.
So much let them eat cake energy with this guy.
This is the same guy that is testing autonomous murder drones in Ukraine to make his next billion.
So much let them eat cake energy with this guy.
You're not serious, are you?
Who is being "murdered" in Ukraine?
Do those people have any right, or any business to be there?
Whose country is Ukraine anyway?
In the phrase "murder drones", murder describes the the drone itself. It doesn't make a qualitative statement about the murder itself. A murder drone is a type of drone that operates autonomously, without an active operator, like an autonomous landmine. You have over indexed on the word.
reminds me of c.m. kornbluth’s ‘march of the morons’ , highly recommended.
2 day old news OP;
[dupe]
The American Rebellion Against AI Is Gaining Steam
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48188310
Eric Schmidt booed at University of Arizona after praising AI
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48172419
Students boo commencement speaker after she calls AI next industrial revolution
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48096674
Multiple commencement speakers booed for AI comments during graduation speeches
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48177107
An AI Hate Wave Is Here
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48173318
[dupe]
The American Rebellion Against AI Is Gaining Steam
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48188310
Eric Schmidt booed at University of Arizona after praising AI
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48172419
Students boo commencement speaker after she calls AI next industrial revolution
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48096674
Multiple commencement speakers booed for AI comments during graduation speeches
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48177107
An AI Hate Wave Is Here
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48173318
the kids are alright
It doesn't sound like he was booed, more like the topic of AI was booed when mentioned
Have we found the people who forced poor Eric to say those things about AI?
Yeah, why would these ultra wealthy not care about the social system in America that's been degraded to the point where when they mention AI taking all the jobs people are not greatful that they'll be replaced!
So bizarre!
So bizarre!
The insurmountable divide between the rich people's infantilism and real life struggles is what was booed.
Eric Schmidt? More like Eric Shit...
"When someone offers you a seat on the rocketship, you do not ask which seat. You just get on. [...] Find a way to say yes."
In my understanding, that's the billionaire class telling you where your place is in their plan for the world. Nobody asks if you even want to leave the planet, figuratively speaking.
The last sentence in particular shows the contempt he has for the students in the audience, and is reminiscent of another (alleged) incident: https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/tried-to-convince-me-i-...
The quoted part of the speech can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MYggR_PPRg