At Stanford University's graduation this year, over a hundred students walked out during Google CEO Sundar Pichai's speech. The protesters, organizers of the walkout, were not particularly concerned with artificial intelligence, but rather with Google’s contracts with governments and ICE.

The event echoed Gen Z's declining enthusiasm for AI, as revealed by a recent Gallup poll: only 22% expressed excitement, while 42% felt anxious. For Eva Jones and Amanda Campos, Stanford graduates and organizers, the issue goes beyond tech—tied to corporate values and social justice.

Campos, who studied environmental policy, says she joined Stanford as a climate activist but soon saw through the school's fossil fuel investments. She believes the choice of Pichai as commencement speaker was emblematic of these deeper issues. Jones, with her background in feminist philosophy and water resources, echoes similar sentiments, emphasizing solidarity movements and activism.

The walkout organizers hope to shift focus from AI debates back to broader social concerns. 'I viewed power as something to gain,' says Campos, 'now I see it as something to build.' Their actions aim to redefine the purpose of higher education beyond corporate alignment towards social justice.