GoKawiilSundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet and a Stanford alumnus, delivers the commencement address during Stanford University's graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE
For college commencement speakers this year, mentioning how artificial intelligence is changing the job market or the world in general has been a surefire way to get booed. So when Google CEO Sundar Pichai took Stanford University’s graduation stage Sunday morning as the keynote speaker, it was notable he didn’t mention AI at all.
Though the booming technology may seem like a natural fit for graduates of the prestigious university located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Pichai instead spoke about his own life experience. Still, the soft-spoken chief executive didn't completely escape some backlash.
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Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, and Stanford graduate, speaks at this years graduation ceremony at Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet and a Stanford alumnus, delivers the commencement address during Stanford University's graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Stanford graduates parade down the "Wacky Walk" before the Stanford graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Stanford graduates walk out in protest during the commencement address by Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Stanford graduates walk out in protest during the commencement address by Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet and a Stanford alumnus, delivers the commencement address during Stanford University's graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE An attendee of the Stanford graduation wears pro-Palestine memoribelia, in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE The stadium is full at the 2026 Stanford graduation, in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE An graduate of wears a kafia during the 2026 Stanford graduation ceremony, in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet and a Stanford alumnus, delivers the commencement address during Stanford University's graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE Friends and family cheer on graduates at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE
Around 200 students walked out as Pichai took the stage, and smaller groups in the audience waved banners, blew whistles and waved Palestinian flags before also leaving mid-speech. Pro-Palestinian protesters condemned the company’s ties with the Israeli government, particularly its controversial $1.2 billion cloud-computing deal with the country in 2021, known as Project Nimbus. The walkouts follow other Stanford commencements over the last three years where students have demonstrated in response to Israel’s war in Gaza and the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
Stanford graduates walk out in protest during the commencement address by Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 14, 2026. Lizzy Myers/For SFGATE
For at least the second year in a row, students walking out on Pichai hosted their own “People’s Commencement.” This year’s event featured activist Mahmoud Khalil as its keynote speaker. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and detained Khalil for more than 100 days last year, threatening his deportation over his pro-Palestinian activism on Columbia University’s campus in 2024.
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After the demonstrations quieted down, Pichai was largely well-received. Stories of his own failures and triumphs from his earlier years, like immigrating to California, dropping his doctorate in favor of a master's degree, and struggles when he started at Google were greeted with scattered laughter and applause.
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