As College Grads Boo Any Mention of AI, the CEO of Google Is Trying to Figure Out What to Say at an Upcoming Graduation
Futurism
The New York Times, Hard Fork podcast
“In some ways, these graduates are actually both going to be a big part of driving that progress and also dealing with the impact of that technology ... I’ve always been extraordinarily optimistic about the next generation.”
Sundar Pichaireported 22 May 2026- What you'll lose1/5
Graduates will be 'dealing with the impact'.
- Condescension2/5
Optimism about the next generation, from above.
- Tone-deafness3/5
Asked for his 'boo strategy'.
- Doom0/5
None.
- Hypocrisy0/5
None.
Full time6 pitchforksof a possible 25
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The occasion
The New York Times, Hard Fork podcast, reported 22 May 2026.
Context
Weeks after graduates at other universities booed speakers who praised AI, Hard Fork's hosts asked Pichai what he planned to say at Stanford and whether he had a 'boo strategy'. The date is the NYT episode page's date (2026-05-22), not fetched (403); the episode itself was not heard. The Stanford speech (2026-06-14) drew a walkout that Fortune and others attribute to Google's Project Nimbus contract rather than AI.
Crowd reaction
Critical commentary
Futurism wrote that his answer 'was more a series of truisms and corporate-speak than a coherent rejoinder' and joked he might 'word anything he says in such a vague and circumspect way that the kids can't figure out the right moment to heckle him'. Mild, one outlet; other coverage was neutral to sympathetic.