Hundreds of Stanford graduates staged a walkout during Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s commencement speech, protesting the company’s military contracts and surveillance practices.
Hundreds of graduates from Stanford University walked out of their commencement ceremony on Sunday while Google CEO Sundar Pichai was delivering the keynote address, according to a report by the BBC. The protest specifically targeted Google’s military and surveillance-related contracts, including Project Nimbus, as well as the company’s agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
As Pichai, an alumnus of Stanford, took the stage, approximately 200 students rose and exited the venue. Videos shared on social media captured the scene, showing students waving Palestinian flags, blowing whistles, and chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Shame.” Many participants donned keffiyehs over their graduation gowns as they left Stanford Stadium in protest.
The walkout was organized by various student groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and No Tech for Apartheid. Organizers accused Google of facilitating surveillance and military operations through its technology. Their primary concern centered on Google’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud computing and artificial intelligence contract with the Israeli government and military. Additionally, protesters expressed their discontent with Google’s collaborations with U.S. agencies like ICE and DHS.
Despite the disruption caused by the walkout, Pichai continued with his speech, which emphasized themes of optimism, resilience, and the importance of tackling difficult challenges. The BBC reported that while Pichai largely refrained from discussing artificial intelligence in his address, he did make a light-hearted remark about the “AI” in his surname, quipping, “After all, AI is the last two letters of my last name.”
Following the ceremony, many students participated in an alternative event dubbed the “People’s Commencement,” held nearby to celebrate their graduation. This gathering featured activist Mahmoud Khalil as a speaker.
As of now, Stanford University has not announced any disciplinary actions in response to the walkout. Google has directed inquiries regarding the event to the published transcript of Pichai’s speech.
According to the BBC, the protest highlights ongoing tensions surrounding technology companies’ roles in military and surveillance activities.