Stanford graduates walked out on Google CEO Sundar Pichai

In short: More than 100 Stanford students left their graduation ceremony during a speech by Google CEO Sundar Pichai to protest Google’s government contracts.

What happened

During Stanford University’s commencement, over a hundred students walked out while Google CEO Sundar Pichai was speaking, according to an interview published by Wired. The protest quickly spread online, with videos gaining millions of views and news coverage from outlets including CNN and the BBC.

Two organizers, Amanda Campos and Eva Jones, told Wired the walkout was not mainly about artificial intelligence, even though AI has become a flashpoint at some graduations this year. They said their focus was Google’s work with governments and law enforcement.

Campos and Jones pointed to Google’s contracts with the US government and with immigration agencies, including ICE and CBP. ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency that enforces immigration laws. CBP is Customs and Border Protection, the agency that handles border enforcement.

They also criticized Google’s Project Nimbus, which they described as a contract with the Israeli government. They argued that Google’s technology helps provide “backbone” services like cloud computing, which is rented computer storage and processing power (like paying for a warehouse for data instead of keeping it in your own building).

The students also held an alternative event at the same time, which they called the “People’s Commencement.” They said it was meant to celebrate graduates without centering a major tech company leader.

Why it matters

This walkout shows a growing split between how many students use AI tools every day and how some students feel about the companies behind them. For people outside campus, it is a reminder that when a company sells technology to governments, the effects can reach into daily life, including policing, immigration enforcement, and conflict.

Source: Wired