Stanford graduates protest Google CEO Sundar Pichai's commencement speech over Israel ties
By
Luis Melecio-Zambrano
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
At Stanford's 2025 commencement, Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced protests as scores of graduates walked out and booed his speech in opposition to Google's work with Israel. Despite the disruption, Pichai delivered an optimistic address focused on personal fulfillment and hard choices, largely avoiding controversial topics like AI. The protest highlights growing campus activism around tech companies' involvement in geopolitical issues.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledAs Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage Sunday at Stanford's commencement, scores of graduates stood, booed and walked out, turning a celebration for nearly 6,000 degree recipients into a protest over the tech giant's work with Israel.
Pichai, a Stanford alumnus leading one of the world's most powerful companies, appeared unfazed.
His speech largely avoided the artificial intelligence debate that has shadowed other tech-heavy commencement addresses this season, instead offering graduates a familiar message about optimism, hard choices and pursuing work that excites them.
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