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Eric Schmidt: Google Glass Critics 'Afraid of Change,' Society Will Adapt

Posted by Soulskill on from the didn't-they-say-the-same-about-the-segway dept.

curtwoodward writes "Eric Schmidt came to Harvard this week to discuss his new book, but many students really wanted to know more about the implications for privacy and social interaction once Google Glass starts hitting the market. Schmidt cautioned against jumping to the worst conclusions, saying that society always tends to adapt to new technologies — and he's hoping for etiquette rather than government regulation. Of course, that's what you would say if you used to run a company that has been fined and paid settlements to regulators for the way it scoops up data and tracks users. But Schmidt also doesn't have much patience for critics: 'Criticisms are inevitably from people who are afraid of change, or who have not figured out that there will be an adaptation of society.'"

6 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. Segway by kk49 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...

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    You can have your god back when you are old enough to handle the responsibility.
    1. Re:Segway by niftydude · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This. Society picks up the changes it wants, and discards the ones it doesn't, and keeps on rolling.

      Just because the Schmidt spent millions of dollars developing a product doesn't mean it will be a success - only time will tell that. The Segway didn't crack the market, and google glass might not.

      Personally speaking, I wouldn't mind something like a ruggedized google glass for snow boarding, long distance running, or other sporting activities where you want to track things like speed, heart rate etc, but I can't see myself wearing something like that on a daily basis just to walk around town.

      But maybe there is a segment of society that needs to know the location of the nearest burger joint stat, and doesn't have the attention span to remember how to get there without walking into walls unless the directions are drip fed to them every 5 seconds. There are certainly many other multi-billion dollar industries out there from which I have never bought a single product.

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      You can never know everything, and part of what you do know will always be wrong. Perhaps even the most important part.
    2. Re:Segway by DJRumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think his comment was aimed more at those who simply don't want to be recorded 24x7. Although this is becoming the norm in some of the larger metro areas across it's not all that common in the U.S for example.

      I actually find I'm not all that comfortable with it either and I'm no criminal. It just has a bit of a creepy vibe that's hard to ignore.

      It's also hard to ignore Google primary business profit motive. Couple that with these, and the likely place that these sorts of clips, photos, and video's will end up, and it just turns me off to the idea.

      My personal opinion, but it is what it is.

  2. Google Glass is the new Segway by DontScotty · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Radical Change Product= Radical Change Product

    Where can it be used legally? = Where can it be used legally?

    How comfortable are people going to be when they see you have one and they don't? = How comfortable are people going to be when they see you have one and they don't?

    Kinda Spend y - people who can't afford it will be all sour grapes. :-)

  3. Re:Big words... by martin-boundary · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Let's not forget that he (Google's Eric Schmidt) is a vindictive bastard, too. When CNET journalists dug out some publically available information on him personally, (read for yourself) he attacked their livelihood by banning them from talking with the whole of Google for a year.

    Frankly, he's a bit of a loose cannon, if I was a Google executive, I'd think about ways to muzzle him.

  4. Re:criticisms by spire3661 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You read science fiction and didnt see wearable tech coming by now? Or were expecting to die sooner?

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    Good-bye