Stanford students walk out during Sundar Pichai’s graduation speech

Stanford students walk out during Sundar Pichai's graduation speech, here is what happened

Stanford University's graduation ceremony saw a group of students walk out during Google CEO Sundar Pichai's keynote address, protesting over the company's reported contracts with government and defence-linked agencies. The event also saw Pichai keep his speech focused on general advice for graduates, avoiding deeper discussion on technology topics.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Students walked out during Sundar Pichai’s Stanford commencement speech
  • Protest linked to Google’s reported contracts with IDF, DHS and ICE
  • Pichai focused on advice for graduates and avoided detailed AI discussion

Stanford University’s graduation ceremony on Sunday saw an unexpected disruption when a group of students left the venue while Google CEO Sundar Pichai was delivering his keynote speech. The event, usually centred on celebration and academic achievement, briefly turned tense as some attendees staged a walkout linked to concerns about technology companies and their external partnerships.

The disruption was linked to activist groups present at the ceremony. A post shared by the BreakThrough News handle stated that groups including Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid organised the walkout. The protest was aimed at Google’s reported contracts with the Israeli Defence Forces, the US Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. During the speech, several graduates reportedly stood up and exited together, drawing attention inside the auditorium as the keynote continued.

Stanford students walk out during Sundar Pichai’s graduation speech.

The moment added to ongoing discussions on US campuses, where students have been questioning the involvement of major tech firms in government and defence-related work. That sentiment was visible at Stanford as the protest took place during one of the most important university events of the year.

Pichai delivers measured address, avoids deep tech talk

Sundar Pichai’s speech avoided detailed discussion of AI or industry developments, even though AI has been a frequent topic at graduation events elsewhere in the US. In some recent ceremonies, remarks from tech executives on AI have led to strong reactions from students. At Stanford, Pichai instead focused on personal advice and general guidance for graduates stepping into their careers.

“I know today is about giving you all advice,” Pichai told graduates. “But people have also been giving me a lot of advice on what to say. Actually, it's been the same advice, and it's about what not to say.”

He also added a light remark during his address, saying, “People thought it would be really difficult for me. It is the last two letters of my last name, after all.”

A key part of his message focused on attitude and how people interpret situations in their lives. He encouraged students to stay open to optimism as they begin their professional journeys. To explain this, he shared a memory from his early years in California in the 1990s, when his first impressions of the place were later corrected after he understood the context differently, which changed how he viewed his surroundings.

Outside the ceremony, concerns about AI and jobs continue to grow within the tech sector. Leaders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have warned that entry-level roles may face pressure as automation expands. Several companies have also reduced workforce size while linking part of the changes to AI adoption, adding uncertainty for new graduates entering the job market. Although, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently asserted that the tech companies are using AI has an easy explanation for laying off employees.

"I think the narrative that connects AI to job loss for many of the CEOs that are doing it, it is just too lazy," Huang told Singapore broadcaster CNA.

Pichai, who has led Google since 2015 and is also a Stanford alumnus, has previously said that AI represents a major technological change for the industry, and that the current generation of graduates will both build and live through its impact.

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