Google CEO Sundar Pichai Tells Graduates of 2020 to ‘Be Hopeful’

Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave a commencement speed for the graduates of 2020 via YouTube.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai 2020 commencement speech.

(Photo: YouTube)

The academic session of 2019-20 has come to a close as now many graduates will move out into the world seeking jobs and many might also consider further studies.

The fact that the global economy has been under the pump because of the novel coronavirus will see many of these graduates making changes to their plans as there aren’t many jobs in the market.

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai recently addressed the student community via an online commencement speech on YouTube urging students to ‘be hopeful’ and shared his advice for the coming generation.

The start-studded online event played host to a lot of celebrities and YouTube content creators like former US President Barrack Obama, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, and concerts by Coldplay singer Chris Martin and Katy Perry.

Sundar Pichai started off by congratulating the graduates of the academic year and also subtly highlighted the oddity of the scenario of hosting a commencement speech in his back yard without an audience.

He added that this format of addressing audiences provided him with a “much deeper understanding of what our Youtube creators go through.”

The general sentiment of the entire speech was more of encouragement and to let students know that they will prevail.

The reason I know you’ll prevail is because so many others have done it before you. One hundred years ago, the class of 1920 graduated into the end of a deadly pandemic. Fifty years ago, the class of 1970 graduated in the midst of the Vietnam War. And nearly 20 years ago, the class of 2001 graduated just months before 9/11.

Sundar Pichai, Google CEO

Pichai also commented on the rapid growth of innovation and technology that has occurred over the past couple of years.

He talked about how times were different when he was graduating and how he did not have access to computer technology while he was growing up.

Sundar Pichai as a Stanford student.(Photo: Google)

By contrast, you grew up with computers of all shapes and sizes. The ability to ask a computer anything, anywhere—the very thing I’ve spent my last decade working on—is not amazing to you. That’s OK, it doesn’t make me feel bad, it makes me hopeful!

Sundar Pichai, Google CEO

He also touched upon a critical tenet as a part of his speech which was to tell students that it’s okay to be impatient.

Don’t lose that impatience. It will create the next technology revolution and enable you to build things my generation could never dream of. Be impatient. It will create the progress the world needs.   

Sundar Pichai, Google CEO

To conclude, Sundar Pichai talked about his deep love for technology and how his life got better with more access to tech.

He also talked about his desire to bring technology to as many people as possible and touched upon his time at Google the contribution in making Google Chrome and the Pixelbook launched by the company.

He closed his speech with the following message:

The only thing that got me from here to there—other than luck—was a deep passion for technology, and an open mind. So take the time to find the thing that excites you more than anything else in the world. Not the thing your parents want you to do. Or the thing that all your friends are doing. Or that society expects of you. I know you’re getting a lot of advice today. So let me leave you with mine: Be open … be impatient … be hopeful.  

Sundar Pichai, Google CEO