Stanford Grads Stage Mass Walkout During Google CEO's Speech!

At Stanford University's graduation ceremony, dozens of students walked out as Google CEO Sundar Pichai began his keynote speech. The protest was organized by a group called Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, who encouraged students to leave the ceremony to show their disagreement with Google's work with the US government, especially its connections to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Israel. Some students carried signs, including one that read 'ICE spies with Google AI,' and others waved Palestinian flags as they exited. The exact number of students who walked out is not known, but local news estimated it could be up to 200.

This protest is part of a larger trend happening at universities across the United States. Many students are worried about the growing use of artificial intelligence and how it might affect their future jobs. At other graduation ceremonies, tech leaders have faced similar reactions. For example, Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, was booed during his speech at the University of Arizona when he talked about AI. He tried to reassure students by saying he understood their concerns, but the crowd still jeered. At the University of Central Florida, a real estate executive was also booed when she called AI the next industrial revolution. At Middle Tennessee State University, Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records, was met with jeers when he mentioned AI, and he told students to 'deal with it' because it is just a tool.

During his speech at Stanford, Sundar Pichai did not focus much on artificial intelligence, even though many expected him to. He made a light joke about his last name ending with 'AI,' but did not address the protests directly. Pichai, who is a Stanford graduate himself, did not respond to requests for comment from the BBC. The walkout at Stanford shows that students are paying close attention to the role of technology companies in society and are willing to speak out when they disagree with their actions. The protests also highlight the growing anxiety among young people about the impact of AI and technology on their lives and careers.