alt.hn

5/20/2026 at 7:08:53 AM

Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed at Arizona U commencement speech

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/18/eric-schmidt-ai-university-commencement-speech-booed

by simonebrunozzi

5/20/2026 at 9:03:55 AM

The part of his speech that I found most offensive was:

"When someone offers you a seat on the rocketship, you do not ask which seat. You just get on. [...] Find a way to say yes."

In my understanding, that's the billionaire class telling you where your place is in their plan for the world. Nobody asks if you even want to leave the planet, figuratively speaking.

The last sentence in particular shows the contempt he has for the students in the audience, and is reminiscent of another (alleged) incident: https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/tried-to-convince-me-i-...

The quoted part of the speech can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MYggR_PPRg

by antfarm

5/20/2026 at 2:34:22 PM

> that's the billionaire class telling you where your place is in their plan for the world

The interesting thing is the advice isn’t terrible. The speaker, however, has no right delivering it.

by JumpCrisscross

5/20/2026 at 3:13:56 PM

I find his advice rather terrible to be honest. Accepting AI and integrating it deeply into your work and life so you won't be among those made obsolete by AI will accelerate exactly that replacement process even further. Looks a lot like a new variant of self-fulfilling prophecy.

by antfarm

5/20/2026 at 4:10:02 PM

> Accepting AI and integrating it deeply into your work and life so you won't be among those made obsolete by AI will accelerate exactly that replacement process even further

Schmidt is paraphrasing advice around getting on a boat. Broadly speaking, if there is a green field and you're young and ambitious and not born rich, and you're able to choose whether or not to get on board, your odds are better there than wherever you are right now.

The analogy with AI would be doing something few others are doing. Just "accepting AI and integrating it deeply" is closer to trend following.

by JumpCrisscross

5/20/2026 at 4:35:51 PM

Schmidt is admonishing people for resisting what he and others in a small group of morally deficient technocrats are coercing them to do.

He's distracting people to pay no attention to the unintended consequences of their actions, distracting people from the Epstein files and the role of many of the people in his circle in them, and he's bloviating in front of a bunch of people who see through his tenuous charade.

by Teever

5/20/2026 at 2:49:13 PM

What delulu-land do you live in where the advice is not terrible?

by wccvw

5/20/2026 at 4:42:43 PM

reminds me of c.m. kornbluth’s ‘march of the morons’ , highly recommended.

by signa11

5/20/2026 at 1:33:20 PM

When someone demands you go to Epstein Island you swim if you have to.

This is the same guy that is testing autonomous murder drones in Ukraine to make his next billion.

So much let them eat cake energy with this guy.

by sitkack

5/20/2026 at 2:39:52 PM

You're not serious, are you? Who is being "murdered" in Ukraine? Do those people have any right, or any business to be there? Whose country is Ukraine anyway?

by somelamer567

5/20/2026 at 8:15:51 AM

the kids are alright

by thot_experiment

5/20/2026 at 8:21:18 AM

It doesn't sound like he was booed, more like the topic of AI was booed when mentioned

by _345

5/20/2026 at 10:38:22 AM

Have we found the people who forced poor Eric to say those things about AI?

by mpalmer

5/20/2026 at 11:54:06 AM

Yeah, why would these ultra wealthy not care about the social system in America that's been degraded to the point where when they mention AI taking all the jobs people are not greatful that they'll be replaced!

So bizarre!

by cyanydeez

5/20/2026 at 8:25:22 AM

The insurmountable divide between the rich people's infantilism and real life struggles is what was booed.

by egorfine

5/20/2026 at 2:34:32 PM

2 day old news OP;

[dupe]

The American Rebellion Against AI Is Gaining Steam

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48188310

Eric Schmidt booed at University of Arizona after praising AI

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48172419

Students boo commencement speaker after she calls AI next industrial revolution

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48096674

Multiple commencement speakers booed for AI comments during graduation speeches

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48177107

An AI Hate Wave Is Here

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48173318

by ChrisArchitect

5/20/2026 at 7:50:03 PM

Eric Schmidt? More like Eric Shit...

by RoyTyrell