As Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, began his commencement address at Stanford University, a group of graduates got up and left. Some carried signs — one read “ICE spies with Google AI” — while others waved Palestinian flags. Pichai had joked about being told to avoid the topic of artificial intelligence, but the walkout showed that for many, the warning was not enough.
It was not the first time this year that tech leaders had faced hostility over AI at graduation ceremonies. Eric Schmidt, the former Google boss, was booed when he mentioned the technology. Stanford, perched in the heart of Silicon Valley, has long been a pipeline for Big Tech — its elite graduates enter the job market with an undeniable edge. Yet even here, the backlash is inescapable.
“Stanford graduates walked out during Sundar Pichai's speech, with signs reading 'ICE spies with Google AI'.”
The BBC spoke to graduates after Pichai’s address and found a wide range of views. Some are scared. Some are excited. But nearly everyone agrees that AI is already changing the world around them, whether they like it or not.
Ifdita Hasan, a graduating computer science and AI major, is among the hopeful. “I feel optimistic about AI,” she said. “I think AI gives us the opportunity to learn more about the universe. It’s a tool that people should try to use and try to adapt to.” She is not surprised by the backlash, noting that early pessimism is common with emerging technologies. “This is what happens. It happened with the internet. But I would encourage people to be optimistic about AI — to try to learn and explore more.”
Others are less sanguine. Atash Heil, an Earth Systems major focusing on environmental science and policy, is frightened by the uncertainty of an AI-dominated future and the speed of the transformation he has witnessed during his college years. “It’s already had such a big impact in such a small time,” he said. He described visiting an exhibit featuring AI-generated art as jarring. “I thought it was scary, especially on my graduation day, to see that. The future is… that? I want art to be made by humans. That’s what makes it art, right?”
Heil was one of several graduates who expressed concern about the speed and direction of change. As the class of 2024 steps into a job market being reshaped by AI, the question hanging over them is not whether the technology will transform their lives, but whether they will be its masters or its subjects.