At Stanford University's commencement ceremony, a large number of students walked out and protested when Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage to speak.
According to BBC video documentation, the protest was led by Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, and students left in dissatisfaction over Google's relationships with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (ICE) and Israel. Additionally, Google has been providing AI technology support to the U.S. government.
Local news outlets estimate that nearly 200 students left the ceremony, and some students carried Palestinian flags and signs criticizing Google's use of AI technology.
Sundar Pichai responded to the protests with humor in his speech but avoided discussing AI-related issues in the technology world.
Student discontent with tech industry leaders at American universities is increasingly becoming more common.
Last May, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt similarly faced student protests during a speech about AI at the University of Arizona, and at other universities, students have been conducting protests and expressing concern about the impact of AI technology on employment.
Ref: bbc
