Students walk out during Sundar Pichai’s Stanford commencement address

Why were students protesting Pichai’s speech?

Reports say protesters were objecting to Google’s government-related work, especially Project Nimbus, a cloud and AI contract involving the Israeli government; some accounts also cited Google’s ties to U.S. agencies including ICE and the Department of Homeland Security BBC,Hindustan Times,NY Post.

How large was the walkout?

The size is disputed across reports. BBC video and reporting described dozens of students, while other outlets reported more than 100 or around 200 participants Anadolu Ajansı,BBC,Newsweek.

Did Pichai address the protest or focus on AI in his speech?

Coverage says Pichai largely avoided discussing AI directly in the address, and BBC reported that he appeared to make a brief joke acknowledging the expectation of protests BBC,Times of India,Forbes.