Stanford students stage a walkout as Google CEO Sundar Pichai begins speech
hindustantimes.com Jun 15, 2026

Stanford students stage a walkout as Google CEO Sundar Pichai begins speech

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Stanford students staged a walkout at the university's commencement ceremony on June 15, 2026, as Google CEO Sundar Pichai began his speech. The protest, led by Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, centered on Google's involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud computing and AI contract with the Israeli government. Over 100 students left their seats, chanting "Free, free Palestine," while Pichai spoke about optimism and his time at Stanford. He avoided mentioning AI, a topic that has sparked controversy in the past. Pichai remained silent when asked about the protest.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · The protest highlights the growing scrutiny of tech companies' involvement in international conflicts, particularly in the Middle East.
  • · This raises questions about the responsibility of corporate leaders to consider the ethical implications of their business deals.