Former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt tells a TED Talks Daily interview that the rise of non-human intelligence is a major shift that is being underestimated. Speaking with technologist Bilawal Sidhu, Schmidt argues that rapid, near-constant breakthroughs are producing AI systems that can increasingly handle complex tasks without human involvement. He frames the change as both promising and risky, highlighting the scale of potential opportunities while also pointing to challenges and urgent risks associated with advanced AI. In his view, the momentum of development means that people across society—beyond specialists—will need to understand and engage with AI to avoid being left behind and to participate in decisions about how it is used. The interview presents AI as a broad technological transformation rather than a narrow research trend, emphasizing both the benefits that may follow new capabilities and the need for attention to consequences as systems become more capable.