Overview
- Schmidt, who addressed the University of Arizona on Friday, drew repeated boos when he said AI would shape the future and urged graduates to help guide it.
- Students jeered louder as he acknowledged fears about disappearing jobs and political and climate turmoil, then pressed his case that the future is not fixed.
- Some graduates planned protests tied to a 2025 sexual‑misconduct lawsuit by former partner Michelle Ritter; Schmidt denies the claims, and a judge sent the case to arbitration in March.
- The university defended inviting Schmidt, citing his leadership at Google and ongoing philanthropic and scientific work that supports campus research.
- Phone videos of the jeering spread widely online, and the episode joins other commencement pushback to upbeat AI pitches, including boos this month at the University of Central Florida, as reports highlight entry‑level hiring cuts and broad public concern about automation.