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Graduating from university is one of the biggest days in a person's life. Surrounded by your peers, friends and family as you tick off one of the milestones is a memorable day. However, for students of Stanford University, the day became even more memorable, making headlines internationally.A video of several students from the university walking out during Google CEO Sundar Pichai's commencement address on Sunday has shocked the internet. As per reports, these students were protesting the tech giant's cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government.Around 200 students are said to have left the Stanford Stadium as Pichai, an alumnus of the university, began speaking. Many also carried the Palestinian flag and banners, chanting "Free, free Palestine," said reports.As the video gained ground on the internet, many trolled the students for their act. This included Indian-origin billionaire Vinod Khosla, one of Silicon Valley's most influential venture capitalists. Taking to X, Khosla called the walkout an act of 'stupidity'. "The stupidity of these @Stanford students to take the greatest opportunity for equality in humanity ever and to really free humanity and go walk out on @google and @sundarpichai that's pioneered that," he wrote.
The co-founder of Sun Microsystems called the students "biased, idiotic, short-sighted and very selfish" because they "ignored the bottom 3 billion people on this planet that could benefit from AI and they are worried about their misinformed selfish self-interest."While Khosla may have aimed to support fellow tech giant and propagate his own voice for AI with a link to his YouTube video on the same, netizens were less than supportive of his statement."The bottom 3 billion people? Vinod everyone and their mother, from Elon to Sam and Dario has stated that this technology is going to destroy the bottom 3 billion people unless we actually figure out how to distribute its proceeds faster than it kills jobs. You’re a dumb old man," wrote one."Vinod: I don't doubt you believe AI can lift the bottom 3 billion. That's why these students matter: they aren't walking from AI. Google runs Project Nimbus - $1.2B contract Israeli military, with 72,000+ dead in Gaza genocide.
This contract has helped murder innocent people," added another."How dare they use their own volition? Me a billionaire, hence I know better, blah blah blah. Just shut up man. This AI is never going to solve world problems, it is only going to make people at the top loot the world more efficiently," wrote a user.
As per reports, the protest was organised by groups including Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid, and had been announced weeks in advance.
The students were protesting against Google's involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud-computing and AI deal with the Israeli government, which also involves Amazon.According to critics, this technology could be used for military purposes amid the ongoing war in Gaza that has already led to 73,000 deaths. "We don't need another tech billionaire to tell us how to get rich off of the killing and surveillance of Palestinians," Stanford SJP said in a statement before the event.As for Pichai, after the ceremony, a BBC journalist asked him for his reaction the protest. However, he did not respond and kept walking.
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