Microsoft's Brad Smith says doom-laden AI warnings alienate young Americans

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith has criticized the tech industry's grandiose warnings about AI's threats, saying they are alienating young Americans, especially recent graduates. On Axios's interview show "Behind the Curtain" (hosted by Mike Allen, published June 16, 2026), Smith said AI is too often presented to young people as something that will "happen to them," not "for them," and urged the industry to change that posture.