Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was met with a walk-out by hundreds of students during his commencement speech at Stanford University. The protest was organized by the Stanford chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, who accused Google of collaborating with the Israeli government and companies like Palantir. The activists criticized Google’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract with Israel that grants access to cloud computing and AI software. Pichai avoided mentioning AI in his speech, instead focusing on optimism and finding exciting pursuits. This is not the first time Google has faced criticism from its own employees and pro-Palestinian groups.
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s commencement speech at Stanford University was met with a walk-out by hundreds of students. The protest was organized by the Stanford chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, who accused Google of collaborating with the Israeli government and companies like Palantir. Pichai’s speech avoided mentioning AI, but the technology is at the center of the controversy surrounding Project Nimbus. The Google chief has been explicit about the impact of technology on younger generations, acknowledging their anxieties and entrusting them to handle the shift.
Today, Sundar Pichai was met with the sight of hundreds of students who showed they could not be allured anymore with the talk of a dollar or rapidly expanding AI.
Author: Evan Null
