Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Booed by Graduates Over AI Remarks

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed by students during a University of Arizona graduation speech after discussing artificial intelligence and its impact on jobs. While he acknowledged students’ fears as “rational,” he urged graduates to adapt and help shape AI’s future. The reaction reflects growing anxiety among students about AI replacing jobs, with similar backlash reported at other US universities during AI-related speeches.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was met with boos and jeers from students while speaking about artificial intelligence during the University of Arizona’s graduation ceremony, highlighting growing anxiety among young people over AI’s impact on employment and education.
During his address, Schmidt attempted to reassure graduates by comparing the current AI boom to the rise of personal computers several decades ago. However, parts of the audience reacted negatively, interrupting his speech with audible boos.
“I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you,” Schmidt said as the reaction continued in the venue. He acknowledged the concerns of graduates who are preparing to enter a rapidly changing job market shaped by artificial intelligence.
Schmidt described students’ fears about AI as “rational,” noting that many are worried about how the technology could affect future career opportunities. Despite this, he urged graduates to adapt and engage with the technology rather than resist it, stressing that AI would play a major role in shaping the future.
He encouraged them to think proactively about their role in influencing how AI develops, telling them: “The future is not yet finished. It is now your turn to shape it.”
Schmidt was not the only speaker to face a hostile reception over comments about AI. Earlier this month, real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was also booed while discussing the technology at the University of Central Florida, while Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records, faced similar reactions at Middle Tennessee State University when mentioning AI during a commencement speech.
At one such event, Borchetta responded to the crowd by telling graduates, “Deal with it, like I said, it’s a tool,” reflecting the growing divide between speakers promoting AI adoption and students concerned about its consequences.
The tension comes amid increasing concern among students and workers in the United States about the impact of AI on employment. Some students are reportedly reconsidering their academic paths, shifting away from fields perceived to be at higher risk of automation, such as entry-level technology roles and data analysis, toward more human-centered disciplines like communication and critical thinking.
A recent Lumina Foundation–Gallup 2026 State of Higher Education Study found that many students are actively reassessing how their chosen majors will affect their future careers in an AI-driven economy. Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center survey found that 50% of American adults are “more concerned than excited” about the growing use of artificial intelligence, compared with only 10% who feel more excited than concerned.
Experts say these concerns are especially pronounced in sectors where AI is increasingly capable of performing tasks traditionally done by entry-level workers, raising questions about the future structure of the workforce and the role of human labour in an AI-driven economy.