Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, faced a chorus of boos from students at the University of Arizona during Saturday’s graduation ceremony. The negative reception stemmed from his invitation as the commencement speaker, particularly in light of allegations of sexual abuse made by a younger ex-girlfriend.
As the 71-year-old tech mogul spoke about artificial intelligence and automation, heckling from the audience escalated. Reports indicated he might have anticipated criticism in light of the lawsuit from his former partner, Michelle Ritter, who has accused him of rape and harassment.
Prior to Schmidt’s speech, various leftist and feminist student organizations distributed flyers outlining the allegations against him. Ritter, a 31-year-old technology entrepreneur, has been reported as both Schmidt’s lover and business collaborator.
Students had been encouraged to “turn their backs to the stage” and to express their dissent by booing when Schmidt took the podium, emphasizing that the university community does not support those accused of such serious misconduct.
Though Schmidt has often discussed his open marriage, he denies the allegations made by Ritter.
His remarks were met with increased hostility as he acknowledged some missteps during his tenure at Google, stating, “We thought we were adding stones to the cathedral of knowledge that humans have built over centuries, but it turns out that the world we built was more complex than we expected.” Schmidt stepped down from Google in 2011.
Schmidt’s comments about AI drew louder disapprovals, even as he addressed concerns that technology might undermine job opportunities for graduates. “I know how a lot of people feel about this. I hear you. There’s fear,” he said, his voice nearly drowned out by the boos.
“There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that we will inherit machines, jobs will disappear, the climate will collapse, politics will be divided, a mess we did not create,” he explained, attempting to characterize this fear as “rational” while encouraging adaptability among young people.
Finally, he stated, “The question is not whether AI will shape the world; it will. The question is whether you have shaped artificial intelligence.”
