Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a revolt from about 200 students during his commencement speech at Stanford University. The protest centred around Google’s controversial contracts with the Israeli military, particularly Project Nimbus, and its relationship with ICE.

The walkout was organized by several activist groups, including Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine and Tech for Liberation. Student signs and slogans like “ICE SPIES WITH GOOGLE AI” and “FREE FREE PALESTINE” were displayed during the protest, highlighting the tensions around technology’s role in conflict zones.

Despite internal dissent over these contracts, Google has continued to defend its position, firing 28 employees who protested the contract in 2024. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has also criticized companies like Google and Amazon for not taking a firmer stance against their services being used for mass surveillance by the Israeli government.

Business leaders have weighed in, with Vinod Khosla lambasting the protesters as “biased, idiotic, short-sighted and very selfish.” Meanwhile, Pichai’s appearance at Stanford is part of a broader trend where AI speakers at graduation ceremonies face criticism from students who are concerned about AI's impact on employment.