Former Google CEO Schmidt's AI Speech Booed: Students' Job Worries Clash with Supporters' Anti-Intellectualism Accusations
At a university commencement ceremony in Arizona on May 17, 2026, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt delivered a speech on AI development, prompting a collective booing from students. The incident ignited fierce debate between AI supporters, who labeled the reaction "anti-intellectual backlash," and critics who praised students' vigilance over AI's threat to employment.