【AI前沿】University of Arizona students boo Eric Schmidt’s AI cheerleading during commencement

AINewsTechUniversity of Arizona students boo Eric Schmidt‚Äôs AI cheerleading during commencementSiIicon Valley can‚Äôt seem to read the room.SiIicon Valley can‚Äôt seem to read the room.byTerrence O’BrienMay 17, 2026, 5:22 PM UTCLinkShareGiftPhoto by Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesTerrence O’Brienis the Verge‚Äôs weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt delivered the commencement address at the University of Arizona on Friday. And, as his speech veered into talk of AI, he was repeatedly drowned out by boos. AI is already a contentious topic, and it‚Äôs not surprising that those about to enter a ravaged job market feel particularly negative about it.Schmidt acknowledged the anxiety, according toBusiness Insider, saying fears ‚Äúthat the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics are fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create,‚Äù were ‚Äúrational.‚Äù But Schmidt‚Äôs frustration was also palpable, as he squirmed behind the podium and asked the crowd to let him make his point.Some grads also booed Schmidt oversexual assault allegationsmadeagainst himlast year.RelatedCommencement x AI, UCF edition.Commencement x AI, Carnegie Mellon edition.Eventually, he told graduates, ‚ÄúWhen someone offers you a seat on the rocketship, you do not ask which seat, you just get on.‚Äù Such comments are hardly surprising from someone who just last year called AI ‚Äúunderhyped.‚Äù But it‚Äôs also just another example of Silicon Valley‚Äôs inability to read the room.Gloria Caulfielddidn‚Äôt get the memo, either.Public opinionhasturnedincreasinglyagainst AI, but companies keep cramming it into every part of our lives, whether we want it or not.Follow topics and authorsfrom this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O’BrienAIGoogleNewsTechMost PopularMost PopularMicrosoft starts canceling Claude Code licensesChatbots at the drive-thru are just the beginningMicrosoft is retiring Teams‚Äô Together ModeUniversity of Arizona students boo Eric Schmidt‚Äôs AI cheerleading during commencementHere are 40 of our favorite deals from REI‚Äôs massive Anniversary SaleThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to ourTermsandPrivacy Notice.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the GooglePrivacy PolicyandTerms of Serviceapply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native ad