Eric Schmidt's Critical Stance on Remote Work: A Challenge for Competitiveness

Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, recently spoke out with strong words on remote work and its impact on learning ability and competitiveness. He stated that flexible work harms learning and questioned how young people can gain the necessary experience in such a changed work environment. However, his criticism of Google's approach to "work-life balance" was later tempered. During the All-In Summit, Schmidt conveyed that compromises are necessary for success in the technology sector. He pointed to the work culture in China, known as "996," and noted that startups stand out due to their intense commitment. Last year, Schmidt had already expressed his concerns at an event at Stanford University that Google, now Alphabet, was falling behind new companies like OpenAI and Anthropic in the race for artificial intelligence. The reason for this, he said, was Google's flexible work models, which he described as hindering success. These statements provoked a broad discussion and were later removed from the internet. In addition to Schmidt's remarks, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, also entered the debate, criticizing remote work in the public sector as unfair compared to employees in other sectors. The controversy over work models is likely to continue as companies find their way in the post-pandemic work world.