Stanford Graduates Hear Google CEO Address While Some Students Walk Out in Protest

At least 200 students stood and walked out of Stanford Stadium during Sundar Pichai's commencement address last weekend. Some chanted "free Palestine" and carried signs that read "ICE spies with Google AI" or referenced Google's Nimbus contract to supply AI tools to the Israeli military. Others waved Palestinian flags as they exited.

Pichai, who earned a master's degree from Stanford and serves as CEO of Google, joked that advisers had urged him not to mention AI because the letters form the end of his surname. The walkout partially drowned out his remarks. Graduates interviewed afterward expressed a range of views on the technology.

Ifdita Hasan, who majored in computer science and AI, said she felt optimistic because the tools could help people learn more about the universe. She noted that early resistance to new technologies such as the internet had been common. Atash Heil, an Earth Systems major, described an exhibit of AI-generated art he visited on graduation day as jarring and said development must be done ethically.

He plans to move to New Orleans to work on climate resilience and believes AI could assist with climate modeling. Lucy Zimmerman, a computer science major and teaching assistant, said she had observed differences between AI-assisted take-home work and exam results. Some classes have reintroduced proctoring and spoken-word tests to deter cheating, she added.

She has accepted a software engineer role at a startup in San Francisco. Harry Kaplan, who graduated in Management Science and Engineering, said it was too early to assess AI's effect on his future. Colbey Harlan, a psychology major, reported using AI for creative writing and project starts despite having ADHD, while expressing concern about data centers' energy use.