Google CEO Sundar Pichai Addresses AI Fears Among Graduates Saying They Will Shape A ‘Better World’ – AfroTech
Google’s former and current CEO have both weighed in on the promise of new graduates in the age of AI, despite some showing skepticism about the technology.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt delivered the commencement address to the University of Arizona’s Class of 2026, describing AI as a “technological transformation” that will influence every profession, according to a video shared by The Wall Street Journal. Some graduates booed during parts of his speech.
Schmidt acknowledged several fears among graduates, including concerns that their futures have already been decided, “the machines are coming,” jobs will disappear, and that AI could worsen climate issues, the outlet shared.
“Anytime we have driven technology progress, I think it helps drive progress in the world,” he said. “And in some ways, these graduates are actually both going to be a big part of driving that progress and also dealing with the impact of that technology. So I think we have to be very mindful of that, and I’ve always been an extraordinarily optimistic about the next generation. I think we all always have this view in the world. We are anxious and we worry about the next generation, but I think the next generation rises to the challenge and builds a better world.”
Pichai said the industry still has more groundwork to do to demonstrate AI’s benefits. He said while AI is “the most profound technology humanity will ever work on,” he is aware of the debate surrounding the technology and believes the discussion is healthy.
“Change is happening so fast. You need people in democracies, you need citizens to be engaged, be aware that this is happening, and make their preferences known,” he said on the podcast. “That’s what causes action in society. So I think there’s something healthy about this dialogue too, which is happening. And given the pace at which the technology is moving forward, it seems right to me, both the concerns and the fact that we need to take it seriously.”
