'WFH won't win' | Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says remote work is threat to tech growth

Former Google chief exec Eric Schmidt has re-entered the remote work debate with a warning that “work from home won’t win in tech.”

Speaking at the All-In Summit, Schmidt argued that physical offices remain vital for professional development, particularly for younger employees who learn by observing senior colleagues collaborate, debate and problem-solve in real time.

Recalling his early career at Sun Microsystems, he said much of his growth came from hearing experienced leaders argue and brainstorm in person. “That’s how you learn,” he said.

Mentorship, tradeoffs and culture

Schmidt acknowledged the importance of balance, but framed the tradeoffs in stark terms. “If you want safety and balance, that’s why people work for the government,” he said. “In tech, you’re going to have to make some trade-offs.”

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For Schmidt, offices are more than venues for task completion. They are spaces for mentorship, creativity and feedback that cannot easily be replicated online. He warned that extended remote arrangements risk stunting employee development and weakening company culture.

Schmidt previously contributed to the remote working debate in 2024, speaking at Stanford, he said Google’s culture had grown too comfortable, leaving it vulnerable to competition from fast-moving startups like OpenAI and Anthropic.

Global competition and AI race

He also tied the issue to international competition, contrasting American workplace flexibility with China’s so-called “996” culture - working 9am to 9pm, six days a week. While leaving little room for work-life balance, he suggested it demonstrates the intensity of China’s approach, warning that the US could fall behind in artificial intelligence because China is more aggressively embedding AI across industries, from apps and robotics to consumer technology. Export restrictions and policy hurdles, he said, have slowed US progress.

Schmidt frames remote work not only as a question of productivity, but as a matter of national competitiveness in technology, and that winning the global race in AI and innovation requires a culture of close collaboration that remote setups may not be able to provide.