Eric Schmidt on AI competition
From Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt talks about new book & AI build out | Bloomberg Talks · · Bloomberg Podcasts
“I was convinced from that meeting that China was two to two and a half years behind us but I was now I'm now wrong. Turns out that in the last couple of weeks China has brought out software models, what I called large language models, that are rivals of the best American ones, which I never thought would be possible. One is called Qwen, another was called Hongyong, and it looks like they've caught up or they're very close behind.”
On , Eric Schmidt, Co-founder of Schmidt Futures at Schmidt Futures, spoke about AI competition during Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt talks about new book & AI build out | Bloomberg Talks on Bloomberg Podcasts.
About Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google and co-founder of Schmidt Futures, delivered the commencement address at the University of Arizona in May 2026. During the speech, he discussed the potential of artificial intelligence, stating that AI is "already accelerating research at a rate that we could not have imagined even 5 years ago" and that it is "designing new molecules, running simulations, identifying patterns in genomic data that no team of humans will uncover in a lifetime." He also acknowledged fears about technology, saying, "There is a fear in your generation... that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating." Reports indicate that portions of his speech were met with boos from the graduating class. In other appearances, Schmidt discussed the global AI race, describing it as "really an energy race" and noting that the "current number one problem in the AI companies" is a "lack of data centers." He also commented on government concerns about AI, stating that governments "want to win, but they're also concerned about safety for their populations and can it be misused."