Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who led the company for a decade, was met with sustained boos during a commencement speech at the University of Arizona on May 15, 2026, according to NBC News and Ecosistema Startup. The disapproval came as he discussed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society and employment.

AI as a Double-Edged Sword

Schmidt opened his speech by reflecting on the evolution of the computer — a device that was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” in 1982. He described how it evolved into the laptop and smartphone and became ubiquitous through the internet and social media. While the computer “democratized knowledge” and helped lift people out of poverty, it also had a darker side, he said.

“The same platforms that gave everyone a voice, like you’re using now, also degraded the public square,” Schmidt said, according to NBC News. “They rewarded outrage. They amplified our worst instincts. They coarsen the way we speak to each other, and that way, and in the way that we treat each other, is in the essence of a society.”

Boos at AI Remarks

Schmidt drew a parallel between AI and the significant impact of the computer, a comparison that immediately drew boos from parts of the audience. “I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you,” he said, addressing the crowd as the disapproval continued.

He acknowledged the fears of the graduating class of 2026: “There is a fear… there is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics is fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create, and I understand that fear.”

According to Ecosistema Startup, students specifically booed when Schmidt discussed the impact of AI on the labor market. He said: “Pensábamos que estábamos añadiendo piedras a una catedral del conocimiento, pero el mundo que construimos resultó ser más complicado de lo que anticipábamos.” The English translation: “We thought we were adding stones to a cathedral of knowledge, but the world we built turned out to be more complicated than we anticipated.”

Despite acknowledging the concerns of the graduates, his remarks did not calm the tension in the audience. “Sé lo que muchos de ustedes sienten. Puedo escucharlos. Hay miedo: las máquinas vienen, los trabajos se evaporan, el clima se rompe, la política está fracturada,” he added, per Ecosistema Startup.

Young Graduates and AI Anxiety

Ecosistema Startup noted that the reaction at the University of Arizona reflects a broader trend documented in 2025–2026 surveys. Young graduates are among the most familiar with AI tools but also among the most worried about their impact on jobs. This paradox explains the mixed reaction to Schmidt’s remarks.

Schmidt urged the graduates to embrace freedom, open debate, equality, and the willingness to engage with those they disagree with. “If you’d let me make this point, please,” he said amid continued boos.