Eric Schmidt at TechCrunch Disrupt

TL;DR

Mobile devices connected to pervasive networks and cloud computing can give people powerful services that a phone cannot provide alone. Eric Schmidt argues that this combination can augment human abilities, reduce time spent navigating information, enable near-real-time language translation, and support happier, more productive lives as connectivity, data, and intelligent services continue expanding.

Transcript

ARRINGTON: Thank you for coming Eric. SCHMIDT: Thanks Michael and congratulations. >> ARRINGTON: Thank you. SCHMIDT: You want me to just start? >> ARRINGTON: I was--Yeah, I was told... SCHMIDT: Okay. No problem. >> ARRINGTON: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Actually I have some things on my mind this morning and... SCHMIDT: Okay. Okay. Yeah, y... Read More

Key Insights

• Computing is becoming an augmentation layer for humanity, with machines helping people perform tasks they handle poorly and people supplying capabilities computers lack. Schmidt presents the combination as a path toward experiences that make daily life more productive, enjoyable, entertaining, and potentially happier.
• Smartphones are the defining devices of the period, and Schmidt predicts that their sales will surpass PC sales within two years. He also says mobile web adoption is occurring eight times faster than personal computer adoption did at an equivalent point fifteen years earlier.
• Pervasive connectivity changes the value of ordinary devices by allowing them to interact with current information and services. A connected music player, for example, can reach and respond to music available around it in real time instead of relying only on locally stored content.
• LTE is presented as an important expansion of mobile connectivity, with a specification of fifty megabits and expected average performance between eight and ten megabits. Schmidt expects developers and users to absorb this capacity and invent additional applications, continuing the cycle between infrastructure and innovation.
• Cloud computing works as the remote intelligence behind mobile services. A phone can capture and transmit data while thousands of distant computers perform demanding operations, letting the user experience capabilities that would be impractical to execute entirely on the mobile device itself.
• Spoken-language translation demonstrates the combined power of phones, networks, and cloud servers. The phone digitizes English speech, servers convert it to text, translate the text into another language, synthesize a new voice, and return the result within roughly a quarter to half a second.
• The explosion of information creates a navigation problem that faster devices alone cannot solve. Schmidt expects search engines and other knowledge engines to evolve into services that help determine what users should consume and which information deserves their attention at a particular moment.
• Speed is a direct contributor to user productivity because small savings become significant at scale. Google Instant was designed to remove a couple of seconds from the query cycle, and Google handled more than two billion searches per day at the time described.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can mobile devices and cloud computing augment human abilities?

Mobile devices provide an immediate interface, pervasive networks carry information, and cloud computing supplies processing power beyond what a phone can handle alone. Schmidt describes this arrangement as a mobile device connected to a supercomputer through a network. Together, they can perform tasks such as speech recognition and language translation, helping people communicate, find information, save time, and accomplish tasks that would otherwise be difficult.

Q: What does a mobile-first strategy mean in Schmidt's argument?

A mobile-first strategy means treating smartphones and other connected mobile devices as the primary platform for new products and services. Schmidt calls the smartphone the defining and iconic device of the period, notes that many companies presenting at the conference are fundamentally mobile-centric, and says mobile web adoption is occurring eight times faster than personal computer adoption did at the comparable stage fifteen years earlier.

Q: How does cloud-based spoken-language translation work?

The phone first captures a person's English speech, digitizes it, and sends it across the network to a server. The server converts speech into text, translates that text into another language, and passes the translated words through a voice synthesizer. The resulting speech returns to the other phone. Schmidt says thousands of remote computers can complete this process in roughly a quarter to half a second.

Q: Why is pervasive connectivity important for connected services?

Pervasive connectivity allows devices to use live information and remote capabilities instead of depending entirely on locally stored data. Schmidt contrasts an isolated music player with one that stores music while also interacting with music available in real time. The same principle connects phones, tablets, cars, sensors, and medical devices to cloud systems that can continually support more useful and responsive services.

Q: What role does LTE play in mobile innovation?

LTE expands the bandwidth available to connected mobile devices and therefore increases what services can deliver. Schmidt describes it as a fifty-megabit specification with expected average performance between eight and ten megabits. He argues that users and developers will consume that capacity and devise additional ideas, meaning faster network infrastructure does more than improve existing applications, it also helps drive the next cycle of innovation.

Q: Why does Schmidt say information overload requires knowledge engines?

The amount of available information is growing so profoundly that users need help deciding what matters, not merely faster access to everything. Schmidt expects search engines and other knowledge engines to change over time into systems that guide what people should consume and identify the information they should care about at that moment. This guidance addresses both excessive information and the feeling of having too much to do.

Q: Why does search speed matter to user productivity?

Search speed matters because reducing the time required for each query gives users time back and lets them reach information, services, and learning opportunities sooner. Schmidt uses Google Instant as an example, saying it removes a couple of seconds from the query cycle. When those seconds are saved across more than two billion searches per day, the aggregate effect on people's productivity becomes substantial.

Q: What is Schmidt's long-term goal for computing technology?

Schmidt's long-term goal is to use computing and information to help people live happier, more productive, enjoyable, and entertaining lives. He frames technology as a partnership in which computers assist with tasks humans do poorly, while humans contribute abilities computers lack. Achieving that vision required years of infrastructure development, including servers, cloud computing, standards, collaborative filtering, and underlying artificial intelligence research.

Summary

In this video, Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, speaks at a conference and discusses various topics such as the future of technology, the importance of mobile and social media, the concept of an augmented version of humanity, and the role of search in the changing landscape of information retrieval. He also touches on Google's focus on openness and its commitment to providing valuable services to users.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who is the speaker in the video?

The speaker in the video is Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google.

Q: What does he suggest Google is building?

Eric suggests that Google is building an augmented version of humanity, where computers and humans work together to enhance productivity and create new experiences.

Q: What is the longer term goal of Google?

The longer term goal of Google, according to Eric, is to improve people's lives and make them happier through the use of computers, information, and the products and services that Google offers.

Q: What are the three accelerating trends driving the phenomena we see today?

The three accelerating trends driving the phenomena we see today are mobile, social, and pervasive connectivity. These trends are revolutionizing the way people use technology and access information.

Q: How is mobile changing the market?

Mobile is changing the market by surpassing PC sales and becoming the defining and iconic device of our time. It is a larger market and companies are increasingly focusing on mobile-first strategies.

Q: What is the significance of LTE and pervasive connectivity?

LTE (long term evolution) is a high-speed network that will enable faster and more reliable internet connections. Pervasive connectivity, combined with mobile devices, allows for constant access to information and the ability to interact with it in real time.

Q: How does cloud computing enhance the capabilities of mobile devices?

Cloud computing allows mobile devices to offload complex tasks to powerful servers, enabling them to perform tasks that would normally require significant processing power. It also enables new services and experiences that make our lives easier and more productive.

Q: What is the potential of cloud computing?

Cloud computing has the potential to transform the way we use technology by providing services that make our lives just work in new and interesting ways. It offers a powerful combination of mobile devices and supercomputers connected through pervasive networks.

Q: How is Google working towards making humans better?

Google's vision is centered around giving people their time back and enabling them to focus on the things that really matter. By providing faster and more relevant information, Google aims to improve productivity and enhance user experiences.

Q: How is Google improving search?

Google is constantly improving search by leveraging personal contacts, emails, and networks to deliver more accurate and personalized search results. The next step is autonomous search, where information is provided even without explicit searching.

Q: What is the future of mobile and Google's involvement?

Mobile is a huge opportunity for Google, with the mobile search traffic and business growing exponentially. Google's Android platform and Chrome browser are driving the mobile revolution, and the company is actively working on monetizing mobile content.

Takeaways

In summary, Eric Schmidt's talk highlights the exciting developments in technology and the potential for an augmented version of humanity. With mobile, social, and pervasive connectivity, we are entering a new era where computers and humans can work together to improve our lives. Google's focus on openness and commitment to providing valuable services and experiences is driving innovation and changing the way we access and interact with information. The future holds great opportunities for businesses and individuals to embrace technology and create meaningful advancements.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Eric Schmidt describes computing as a way to augment humanity by pairing human strengths with tasks computers perform well. The broader goal is not technology for its own sake, but better, more productive, entertaining, and enjoyable lives. Mobile devices, pervasive connectivity, and cloud infrastructure form the foundation for that opportunity.

• Smartphones are becoming the defining devices of the period, while increasingly fast networks keep people and machines continuously connected. Cloud computing supplies remote processing that phones cannot perform independently. Schmidt illustrates this model with spoken-language translation, where servers convert speech to text, translate it, synthesize speech, and return the result.

• The growing volume of information creates both opportunity and overload. Search and knowledge services must evolve from retrieving information toward helping people decide what deserves attention. Schmidt emphasizes speed because even small reductions in query time can improve productivity when multiplied across more than two billion searches performed each day.

• Google Instant illustrates why small performance improvements matter at enormous scale. By removing a couple of seconds from the query cycle, the service can return time to many users. Schmidt connects this focus on speed with a larger ambition to reduce information overload and help people satisfy curiosity more efficiently.