Stanford graduates walk out as Sundar Pichai gives keynote

Dozens of Stanford University graduates walked out of their commencement ceremony as Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai took the stage to deliver the keynote address. Video showed students leaving their seats and holding signs criticizing Google's work with the US government, including one reading, "ICE spies with Google AI." SFGate estimated about 200 people took part, though the exact number was unclear. Some people were also seen waving Palestinian flags. Pichai, a Stanford alumnus, largely avoided the controversy in his remarks and made a brief joke about expected protests. The demonstration fits a wider pattern of campus pushback this year against tech leaders, especially around artificial intelligence and its effects on jobs and government use.