Google CEO Sundar Pichai Faces Backlash at Stanford Graduation Ceremony

Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a walkout and boos from students at Stanford University's graduation ceremony over the company's ties with the Israeli military and ICE.

Over the weekend, Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a small revolt when he delivered his commencement speech at Stanford University, where he earned his graduate degree in materials science and engineering. About 200 students from the graduating class reportedly walked out, while others loudly booed the tech executive.

The focus of the protest was Google's defense ties — including Project Nimbus, the controversial $1.2 billion contract, shared with Amazon, to provide cloud and AI services to the Israeli military, as well as its relationship with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Student signs included phrases like ""ICE SPIES WITH GOOGLE AI"" and ""GENOCIDE RUNS ON GOOGLE,"" as well as ""FREE FREE PALESTINE,"" a press release associated with the protest notes. Students also waved Palestinian flags and shouted ""free Palestine,"" online video of the protest shows.

""We are walking out because we refuse to glorify the corporations that fuel this violence and exercise our power to choose differently,"" a statement associated with the protest reads.

The walkout was organized by a number of campus activist groups, including Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, No Tech for Apartheid, and Tech for Liberation. TechCrunch reached out to Google for comment.

As the war in Gaza has raged, Google's participation in Nimbus has drawn protests from both inside and outside of the company. In 2024, Google fired 28 workers for protesting the contract, although it has continued to suffer internal dissent over the issue since then. It was also recently criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which accused it and other companies of ""choosing to look the other way"" on Israel's use of their services.

Project Nimbus also enjoys support from Amazon. Microsoft has also been criticized for its support of the Israeli military, although the company restricted the Israeli government's use of its technology after an investigation found that its cloud services were being used to mass-surveil Palestinians.

The student protest also drew criticism from business leaders online. Vinod Khosla, the billionaire co-founder of Sun Microsystems and one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capitalists, posted on X that the protest was ""biased, idiotic, short-sighted and very selfish,"" adding that it was selfish because the students ""ignored the bottom 3 billion people on this planet that could benefit from AI and they are worried about their misinformed selfish self-interest.""

Student Protesters Speak Out

""We are walking out because we refuse to glorify the corporations that fuel this violence and exercise our power to choose differently,"" a statement associated with the protest reads.

The students who walked out and protested were not just concerned about Google's ties with the Israeli military, but also its relationship with ICE. They felt that the company's actions were contributing to the oppression of marginalized communities.

Google's Response

TechCrunch reached out to Google for comment, but the company has yet to respond. However, in the past, Google has stated that it is committed to using its technology to promote peace and stability in the region.

The Broader Implications

The student protest at Stanford is part of a larger trend of young people speaking out against corporate power and the impact of technology on society. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, there is a growing concern about the ethical implications of AI and other emerging tech.

• The walkout and protest at Stanford University's graduation ceremony highlights the growing concern about Google's ties with the Israeli military and ICE.
• The students who walked out and protested were motivated by a desire to speak out against corporate power and the impact of technology on society.
• The protest is part of a larger trend of young people speaking out against the ethical implications of AI and other emerging tech.
• Google has faced criticism for its response to the protest, with some accusing the company of being out of touch with the concerns of its employees and the wider public.