Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai’s commencement address at Stanford University on June 14 was met with a protest, as dozens of graduates walked out of the ceremony. The protesting students, some carrying Palestinian flags and chanting, voiced their opposition to Google's business ties with the Israeli government.
The demonstration specifically targeted Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon to provide AI and cloud computing services to the Israeli government and military. Pro-Palestinian groups and some tech workers argue the project supports surveillance and military operations. Amid the protests, Pichai's speech notably avoided any mention of artificial intelligence, a topic that has drawn negative reactions at other university commencements this year.