Whilst Schmidt acknowledged that the fears regarding the future of the graduating workforce was rational and tried to draw parallels between the current AI boom and the rise of personal computers and smartphones decades ago, the bubbling undercurrents from the potential impact on the current and future workforce continue to simmer. The jury is still out.
In recent months, anti-AI sentiment has been bubbling up in US colleges and universities, driven by students’ anxiety over job displacement, environmental impact, questions over academic integrity and the loss of critical thinking.
Tech bosses talked about the next Industrial Revolution at spring graduation ceremonies — notably Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, who spoke at the University of Arizona. He was roundly booed by Gen Z students fearing the loss of jobs.
