Sundar Pichai Advises Stanford Graduates on Optimism and Hard Work

Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently told Stanford University's Class of 2026 that many people had been advising him on what to say during his commencement speech, and more specifically what not to say.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Sundar Pichai joked that the advice was largely about avoiding discussion of artificial intelligence (AI), a topic closely linked to his work. "People thought it would be really difficult for me; it is the last two letters of my last name, after all," he said. Instead of focusing on AI, the Google and Alphabet chief shared lessons on optimism, taking on difficult challenges and pursuing work that creates excitement.

Sundar Pichai’s advice beyond technology

Addressing graduates, Pichai said timeless advice is not tied to any single technology. "I know today is about giving you all advice. But people have also been giving me a lot of advice on what to say. Actually, it's been the same advice, and it's about what not to say," he said. "In all honesty, that topic is truly immaterial to what I want to share with you. The most timeless advice, I've learned, is technology agnostic." Pichai told students that every generation faces challenges and uncertainty. "We don't get to choose the world we graduate into; but we do get to choose how we frame our circumstances," he said. Drawing on his childhood in Chennai, India, he said optimism helped him navigate major life decisions, including leaving his PhD program and entering the technology industry.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai: 'Work on hard things'

During the speech, Sundar Pichai also encouraged graduates to take on difficult problems. He recalled working on Google Chrome when many inside the company believed building a browser would be extremely challenging. "Working on hard things has taught me a lot," he said. "So when you have the choice to work on something hard — say yes." Pichai's final piece of advice was to pursue work that genuinely interests them rather than following expectations from others. "Don't focus on the thing your parents want you to do, or the thing all your friends are doing, or that society expects of you," he said. "Instead, think about the things that keep you chatting excitedly with your roommates late into the night. And go do those things." Closing the speech, Pichai told graduates that life is not about getting every decision right. "The important thing isn't to get them all right; it's to find a way to keep moving forward," he said.