In this unsettling yet fascinating interview, Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, opens up about a topic that’s on the minds of just about everyone today: AI. But this isn’t your standard “AI will change the world for the better” spiel. Oh no, Schmidt—who’s seen it all—has some serious warnings. He talks about the very real risks of AI, including how it could create deadly viruses (yes, you read that right), and why we need to be on high alert. In his view, AI’s potential for harm isn’t just something we should think about later—it’s something we need to address now.

There’s no sugarcoating here. Schmidt points out how AI, with all its brilliance, is also supercharged with flaws—like misinformation, biases in algorithms, and the terrifying possibility of it spiraling out of control. He’s not saying we should ...